


Always Your Advocate

by statenislandboys



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25009486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/statenislandboys/pseuds/statenislandboys
Summary: After five years of being in one of the most successful boy bands in the world, Harry Styles is about to embark on his solo career. While at Columbia, he meets Bethany Russo, who’s just been assigned to work with him. As much as she wants to remain professional, she just can’t keep away from him.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

Bethany Russo had been working at Columbia Records in New York City for almost 8 years. She had started as an intern when she was 18 years old. Once she graduated from college, at the top of her class, she was officially hired for a full-time position. When she started working at Columbia, she started at the bottom, like any other intern. She didn’t get the chance to work with the major artists right away. Usually, the more seasoned employees got to work with the bigger names.

Beth had a degree in music management, with a minor in the operations. Her main role at Columbia was to figure out the best way to promote the artist. This could be anything from scheduling billboards in Times Square, to setting up TV and radio interviews. She also helped to plan tour dates and produce music videos.

Beth was the type of person that you could always rely on. She always submitted things on time. She was never late, or even on time because she was always early. She was also extremely diligent and thorough, which is what made her so good at her job. She was a planner. She had to be extremely well organized, especially when dealing with artists and their hectic schedules.

Beth always felt pressure to be on time, or to be so diligent. She always felt like she had to work as hard as she possibly could. She never wanted to let people down, and she always wanted to exceed people’s expectations. That’s just how she’s always been. She was always trying to please people.

The longer that Beth worked at Columbia, she slowly started moving up in the company. She proved that she was valuable to the company, especially when helping to plan and execute promotional activities. She slowly got to work on more important tasks and work with some bigger artists. She was becoming a more trusted member of the Columbia team. But the biggest opportunity in her career came when the CEO of Columbia, Ron Perry, asked her directly to work with one of their upcoming clients. She had worked closely with Ron over the last few years, but she knew that getting called into his office was a big deal.

“I just wanted to start by telling you how much I appreciate all the hard work you’ve been doing. I want you to know that I’ve noticed, and I think you deserve to be rewarded,” Ron told her.

“Well, thank you for noticing. What kind of reward did you have in mind?” she asked.

“I think you’re ready to start working with one of our top artists. Well, technically he’s not a top artist yet, because he hasn’t put out his first album yet. But he’s already got a massive and passionate fanbase behind him. He’s already started working on the album, so we’re ready to start planning for the promotion. And I want you to take the lead,” Ron explained.

“That sounds great. But who’s the artist?” Beth asked.

“How do you feel about working for Mr. Harry Styles?”

When she heard that name, Beth was immediately filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. When Ron told her that she would be working with a major artist, she didn’t think he meant someone like that. Beth knew that Columbia had signed Harry, but she didn’t realize that she would be working for him, let alone that she would be taking the lead. She knew that Columbia expected big things from Harry. Everyone hoped that he would be the star of the group. They were hoping that he would be the next Justin Timberlake. An artist like Harry was way beyond anything she’s ever worked on. But she was ready for the challenge.

“That would be amazing,” Beth said.

“This is a huge responsibility. It will be a lot more work, but an increase in salary, of course. But I think you’ll be a great fit to work with him. You’ve already proven that you’re a hard worker and that you get results. But I also think you bring a unique perspective because you’re around the target audience that we’d like to reach. And I think it’s about time that you’d be given a more substantial project to work on. I think you’re ready,” he said.

“I really appreciate this opportunity. I won’t let you down,” she told him.

“Oh, and one more thing. I don’t want you working on anything else right now. Harry Styles is your main priority,” Ron said.  
“Understood,” Beth responded.

Ron explained that Beth would be responsible for booking Harry on different interviews, including talk shows and radio shows. She would also be helping to plan and produce his music videos. The major project would be planning his world tour. Ron also told her that Harry would be coming to Columbia for a meeting in two weeks, to discuss the progress of his album.

On top of being a planner, Beth also liked to do her research. Before meeting Harry, she tried to get to know as much about him as possible. She was trying to understand what she was getting herself into. While Beth liked some of the One Direction songs that she heard on the radio, she never considered herself a huge fan. But regardless of whether she was a fan, she still understood the magnitude of working with someone that came from One Direction.

For the next two weeks, Beth went home and did hours of research every night on Harry, and One Direction. She watched countless interviews, talk show appearances, and live performances. She even went back to the days when he was on _the X Factor_. And of course, she had to listen to all five One Direction albums. The more she listened to their music, the more she started to find songs that she enjoyed. She realized that there was so much more to the band than the upbeat pop songs that she heard on the radio.

Beth had a few friends that worked in London, at Syco Records, which mainly managed One Direction. She started asking people about Harry, and what he was like to work with. She considered this furthering her research. Beth called her friend, Lucy, who worked at Syco, to get some information. Lucy was a few years older, and a bit more seasoned in the music industry.

“So, they recently told me that I’ll be the lead working with Harry Styles,” she told Lucy.

“That’s amazing! Congrats Beth!” Lucy said.

“Thank you! But I’m a little nervous. I’ve never worked with someone on this level. Can you give me an idea of what I’m in for?” Beth asked.

“Well, you’re very lucky that Harry is your first major artist. Whenever I interacted with him, he was always very pleasant to be around. Even when the band got massively successful, he remained humble and kind. He seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, but he also works very hard,” Lucy said.

“Good to know.”

Based on everything she learned, Harry had a reputation for being sweet, and pleasant to work with. She only heard good things about him, which seemed odd. In the music industry, most artists have at least a few questionable stories about then. Beth was starting to question her sources and wonder if all these positive stories were true. How could one person be so nice? So humble? So down to earth? So charismatic? She thought that there was no way that all these things could be accurate, so she tried to lower her expectations of Harry. She didn’t want to be disappointed if he didn’t live up to an image that she created in her head.

After two weeks of trying to gather as much information about Harry as possible, it was finally time for the big meeting.While Beth had been around several successful musicians throughout her years at Columbia, she never worked directly with someone like Harry.As the meeting was starting to come closer, she was growing more nervous to be in a room with someone like him. Beth hoped that Ron, and some of the other executives, would do most of the talking. She hoped that would ease some of her anxiety. She didn’t plan on speaking at all unless she was spoken to directly. Beth was good at planning and execution. But she wasn’t exactly the most sociable type. She was shy and nervous around any new person, let alone someone as famous as Harry Styles.

Beth had arrived early that morning. Even earlier than normal. She couldn’t be late for one of the biggest meetings of her life. Normally she would get breakfast before work, but she was too nervous to eat. She felt like she was going to throw up. She didn’t want to ruin this. If she messed this up, her career could be ruined. This was her opportunity to prove herself, and she couldn’t let herself fail. She had to show her bosses at Columbia that she was worthy of working with someone like Harry.

Right before the meeting was set to begin, Beth went into the bathroom to compose herself. She looked at herself in the mirror, noticing all the flaws in herself. She thought that she looked like a mess. And she felt like a mess. But she knew that she had to pull herself together. She touched up her makeup, reapplying her favorite bright red lipstick, and added some blush to her pale skin. After quickly brushing through her long hair, Beth decided that she was ready, or at least as ready as she would ever be. She took a deep breath and headed down the hall to the meeting. 

Beth, Ron, and other important executives from Columbia all sat around the conference table, waiting for Harry’s arrival. Luckily, he didn’t keep people waiting long, and he arrived right on time. He entered the room, alongside his manager Jeffrey. Harry walked around the room, and politely shook hands with everyone in the room. He even introduced himself, as if everyone didn’t already know who he was. As if this entire meeting wasn’t just for him. This was the kind of respectful behavior that Beth heard about.

When the nerves started to hit Beth, she tried to remind herself that she was around musicians all the time. But that didn’t change the fact that she was starstruck. She never expected that when Harry looked into her eyes to shake her hand, that she would feel butterflies in her stomach. It was like she was a teenager again. She didn’t understand why she was feeling like such a fangirl. Maybe it was because she had just spent the last two weeks watching videos of him, and now he was actually standing in front of her. She tried to brush away those feelings and remain professional. Besides, he was a global superstar who could have any woman that he wants. Why would he ever be interested in someone like her? How could she ever have a chance in the world?

“Hi, I’m Harry,” he said, shaking her hand.

“I’m Bethany. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, smiling at him, while she tried to maintain her composure.

“Bethany will be taking the lead in working on the day to day operations of promoting you and the album,” Ron explained.

“Nice to meet you, love,” Harry said.

After everyone introduced themselves, it was time to get down to business. The people from the record label hadn’t heard any of Harry’s music yet, and they were anxious to get an update on his progress. They expected him to match the level of success that he had while he was in the band. Everyone was expecting him to do well. 

“So, Harry, tell us how your album is going,” Ron said.

“I think it’s going well so far. I’ve really been enjoying my time in the studio, getting to take my time with this one. You know, when I was in the band things were a bit more rushed. We’ve written a lot of songs so far. I think we’re close to deciding on the first single,” Harry told them.

“That’s good to hear. But, as you know, we’re a little nervous that we haven’t heard anything yet,” one of the executives told him.

“I guess, maybe, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I usually don’t like to share something until it’s finished. Or almost finished. It’s still in progress. But I should have something to share with you soon,” Harry explained.

“That’s fine, Harry. But can we at least get an idea of what this new album might sound like?” another executive asked.

Beth could only imagine the type of pressure that Harry was feeling. Everyone wanted to know what his solo music would sound like. There was already a constant debate in their office of what they wanted from Harry. And now they got the chance to address him directly. Beth noticed that Harry was constantly looking in her direction. But she hadn’t said a word since she introduced herself. Each time that Harry tried to look into her eyes, Beth would look away, trying to seem distracted by the papers in front of her.

“Harry, your fan base is used to hearing pop music from you. I think you should stick with what people know and love,” one of the executives said.

“I disagree. I think he should go for a more mature sound since his audience has grown up. Maybe something more rock? Or folksy? I think that would suit his voice,” another executive said.

As each person gave their own opinions, Beth remained silent. She was just looking around, trying to take in what everyone else was saying. But she also started to tense up. She was itching to say something, but she was too scared to give her opinion. It seemed like Harry could tell how uncomfortable she was. After watching her internal struggle, Harry decided to address her directly.

“Bethany, what are your thoughts?” he asked her.

“Well… I think…. I think you need to make whatever music feels right,” she struggled to say, as she finally got her opinion out.

“But what about the fans? What if he goes too far off what they already know?” one of her bosses scowled.

“Can you expand on that, please?” Harry asked.

“Well, realistically, the fans that first fell in love with you from One Direction are older now. Hopefully, they’ll grow with you. But honestly, even if they don’t, we can’t just worry about your existing fans. That puts you into too much of a box. We don’t just want One Direction fans to listen to your music. We want a 40-year old man or a 65-year old grandmother to listen to your music and fall in love. But people will know if it’s fake or manufactured. I think you should do whatever feels authentic to you. People will be drawn to that,” Beth explained.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Harry said. 

Harry smiled, knowing that Beth was supportive of him. She felt drawn to him and wanted to be someone at the label who would be looking out for him.

After discussing some more details of the album, the executives at the label felt like they had everything they needed. Beth was happy that she was able to meet Harry before she began working on his album’s promotion. They all said goodbye to Harry, but after the meeting, he was waiting for Beth outside her office.

“Oh. Hi, Harry. How are you? Is there something I can help you with?” she asked, as she was a bit caught off guard by his presence.

“I just wanted to say thank you. I really appreciate you sticking up for me and telling them how you feel. It’s nice to know that I have your support,” Harry told her.

“You don’t have to thank me. As of right now, I’m exclusively working for you. So, I’m here to fight for you and be your cheerleader. Whatever you need from me,” she said, proudly smiling at him.

“Well, I appreciate that. Could I take you out for a drink to thank you?” he asked, abruptly.

“I don’t know… I’m supposed to be working for you. I don’t know if that would be appropriate,” she said, but she was struggling with the decision.

“Come on… What’s one drink? We can say it’s for business purposes if that makes you feel better,” he said.

“Well... I guess that would be okay,” she agreed, not needed much convincing.

“So, I’ll see you tonight?”

“I would love to,” she smiled. “Here, you’ll probably need this anyway, since we’ll be working together closely,” she said, as she wrote down her phone number and handed it to him.

Somehow, after only spending a few minutes with Harry, she was already more comfortable with him. She went from barely being able to look at him, to boldly giving him her phone number. She realized that she would probably be in constant contact with him for the next few months and that she would have to get used to being around him. And despite being this massively successful musician, he was still just a person. She shouldn’t treat him any differently. What’s the harm in going out with him? It didn’t have to mean anything. And how could she say no to Harry Styles? Beth was looking forward to working for him. But more importantly, she was looking forward to getting to know Harry for herself.


	2. Chapter 2

From the moment she spoke with Harry, Beth started to overthink everything. Overthinking was one of her specialties. Unfortunately, it was one of the downsides of her ability to plan and research everything. She was constantly thinking of a million different scenarios, trying to figure out what might happen, or what could go wrong. What was Harry trying to accomplish? Was he trying to flirt with her? Was he just looking for a one-night stand? Or was he just a nice guy, trying to make a friend? She wondered if it would be considered unprofessional for her to be going out with one of her clients. Could she be reprimanded, or even fired, for doing something with Harry? As she tried to settle herself down, she realized that nothing happened yet. All she had agreed to was having a drink with Harry. That didn’t have to mean anything. It was harmless, right? Maybe this was just what she needed. Maybe she needed to go out for a drink and loosen up a little bit.

As she walked home, the thoughts continued to race in her head. She hopped on the subway to get to her apartment in Brooklyn. When she arrived home, she saw her phone was buzzing with a phone call from an unknown number. 

“Hello Bethany,” it was Harry,” I just wanted to give you a quick call to see what time you’d like to go out tonight. Does 8 work?” 

Not many people called her Bethany, but she didn’t mind if Harry did. She liked the way it sounded when he said it. Even though she had just been overthinking everything, she immediately became calmer once she heard his voice. There was something comforting about him.

“WHO is this?” she asked jokingly as if his voice and accent weren’t distinct enough. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you give your phone number to a lot of British men?”

“Wait. You’re British? I didn’t know that. This changes everything.”

“So, does that mean that you don’t want to meet me tonight?”  
“No. Absolutely not. 8 is perfect.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up. Just text me your address,” he said.

“I’m all the way in Brooklyn, you don’t have to come here to pick me up. I can meet you somewhere,” she told him. 

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t pick up a lady for a date?” he asked. 

A date? This is a date…She tried not to panic. Just because it was a “date” didn’t mean that anything serious had to happen between the two of them. Again, she tried to reassure herself that they were just going out for a drink. She just needed to relax and enjoy herself.  
Beth looked through her closet, debating on what she should wear. Harry already saw her in a professional-looking dress, so she wanted to go with something more casual. Since they would be spending a casual night at a bar, it’s not like she had to dress fancy anyway. After looking through just about every item in her closet, Beth finally decided on wearing her dark wash ripped jeans, along with a simple black top. She paired that with a leather jacket and her favorite combat boots.

Despite her initial protests, Harry insisted on picking Beth up for their date. He rang the bell outside her brownstone apartment building. As expected, he was right on time. Beth was ready, as she was right near the door, patiently awaiting his arrival. Before he arrived, she was pacing back and forth as the thoughts ran through her head. She immediately smiled when she saw him. All of her stress went away. He was wearing jeans and a baggy green hoodie, but somehow, he made it look stylish, yet effortless. When Harry got to the door, he noticed that she started looking around him, as if there was someone behind him.

“Were you expecting someone else?” he joked.

“No… of course not. But I just thought that you might have security with you. Isn’t it dangerous for you to be out by yourself?” she asked. 

“I don’t take security with me everywhere. I still like to have the freedom to go out on my own. Besides, I’m not alone. I have you to protect me,” he said with a smirk.

“Oh, sure. I’d be a great bodyguard. I’m very intimidating, all 5’5” of me. I’d scare off everyone,” she said, as they both laughed.

“So, tell me, Bethany. Where would you like to go tonight? You’re the local, I’m sure you know all the good places to go.”

“Do you want to go somewhere that nobody will bother you?”

“That sounds perfect.”

“It’s only a few blocks away if you’re okay with walking.”

“Lead the way,” Harry told her.

Beth decided to take Harry to her favorite dive bar. She knew the owner, so she’d easily be able to get a table, even on a busy Friday night. But the main reason she wanted to take Harry to this bar is that the majority of the people there were men over the age of 30. That wasn’t exactly Harry’s core demographic, so she thought it would be perfect. Nobody would be bothering Harry, and they could sit down and get to know each other. Beth wanted to get to know the REAL Harry, not just the version that she had researched online.

As Beth led Harry into the bar, she was greeted by Dave, the owner.

“Beth! Good to see you again. It’s been a little while. What can I do for you?” Dave asked.

“Can we get a table in the back?” Beth asked.

“Of course. Anything for my favorite customer,” Dave said, as he grabbed two menus  
and headed towards the back of the bar.

“You know, last time I saw you here, you were with that other guy,” Dave started to say.

“We don’t have to talk about him,” Beth interrupted, with an awkward laugh.

Beth had been to this bar more times then she could count. It was there for her during some of the best and worst times in the past few years. Somewhere she could go when she needed to relax and unwind. Luckily, she knew that they had a table in the back corner where she and Harry could stay hidden from the rest of the world. As she expected, Harry walked through the bar, and nobody gave him a second look. The guys were too focused on the baseball game playing on the TV. They weren’t paying attention to anything else around them. 

“So, who’s this other guy?” Harry said as they sat in their booth, across from each other. 

“It’s a long story… I should probably have a drink before I get into it…”

“Ok fine. Let’s order first. What’s good here?” Harry asked. 

“They have the best burgers. You’ll love it,” she told Harry.

“Seems very American.”

“I usually drink it with a Guinness. Do you like Guinness?” she asked.

“I’m British, not Irish.”

“Oh, that’s right. Maybe we should’ve signed Niall then. Maybe he would’ve been a better date. He was always my favorite member of One Direction anyway,” she teased him.

“Ok, the first thing you should know about me. I do NOT appreciate being compared to my fellow bandmates,” he joked.

“I’m sorry, Harold. I won’t compare you to anyone.”

“OK SECOND THING. My name is not Harold.”

“Ok, I knew that. I did my research.”

“Oh, did you? So, you must know everything there is to know about me then? That seems a little unfair. I don’t know much about you, other than the fact that you like Guinness and cheeseburgers. And Niall apparently.”

“You know I was kidding. Of course, you’re my favorite. How could you not be?”

As they both smiled at each other, Dave returned to their table. 

“What can I get for you guys?” Dave asked.

“I’ll have my usual burger and a pint of Guinness, please,” Beth said.

“I’ll have whatever she’s having,” Harry said.

“Great, I’ll get right on that,” Dave said, as he left to put our orders in. Just a few minutes later, he returned with their order. 

“So, where were we?” Harry asked.

“You were getting jealous because I said Niall was my favorite,” she joked, as they both laughed. 

“All jokes aside, I don’t want you to know the researched version of me. I want you to form your own opinion of me. Even if you end up hating me. At least that’s your own opinion,” Harry told her. 

“Ok, I’m sorry. But if it helps, I talked to people that worked with you in the band. Nobody had a bad word to say about you.”

“You must have not talked to the right people.”

“So, you’re not a pleasant, funny, down to earth guy?” 

“That doesn’t sound like me at all. You must have me confused with someone else.”

“Well, I guess I have to find out for myself then.”

“I still feel like you know so much about me, and I don’t know anything about you. I didn’t get to research you before Ron introduced me this morning,” Harry said.

Harry felt like she had the advantage. She knew so much about him, and he barely knew anything about her.

“Speaking of Ron, how do you think he and the other executives would feel about me seeing you? I’m worried about them finding out. They might think it’s unprofessional since I’m supposed to be working for you…” she admitted

“You could just say that it was a business meeting. Say that we talked about my album.”

“I guess I could do that.”

“Ask me about my album.”

“How’s your album going?”

“Great. Thanks for asking. See? We talked about business. Now can you tell me more about you?” Harry asked.

“What do you want to know?” she asked.

“Tell me about your family.”

“Oh, that’s a good story.”

“Sorry, was that too soon to ask such a personal question?”

“No… no. that’s okay. I don’t mind talking about it. I was adopted by a lesbian couple. So, I have two moms, which was fun. I also have an adopted brother, Andrew, who’s three years older than me. I was born in Brooklyn, but we moved a few times. We lived in Staten Island, Queens, and Long Island for a little while. My parents still live out on Long Island. My brother lives in Manhattan now, with his girlfriend. He’s a doctor, actually. Just finished his residency. Sorry, that was a lot. Am I talking too much?” she worried.

“NO, no, of course not. I could listen to you talk all day. So, are you close with your family?” Harry asked.

“Definitely. I talk to my parents almost every day. I go out there for dinner quite often, at least once a month. My brother is always so busy, so I don’t talk with him as much as I would like. But we’re all very close. What about you? What’s your family like?”

“Well, my parents divorced when I was seven, which was a bit hard on me and my sister, Gemma. But then my mom married our stepdad, Robin. I’m still close with my family but I don’t get to see them often because I travel so much,” Harry explained. 

“Speaking of traveling, how much longer are you in New York for?” she asked.

Beth was beginning to realize that she didn’t have an unlimited amount of time with him. Eventually, he would have to go back home. They would have to go back to their normal lives.

“I have a full day here tomorrow. Then I have my flight home Sunday afternoon.”

“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” she asked him. Her confidence was growing with the added liquor in her system. 

“Not yet. But I’d love to spend the day with you if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I would love to. Is there anything in particular you would like to do?”

“Not really. I’ll leave it up to you. I trust you.”  
Beth didn’t really care what they would be doing. All she knew was that she wanted to spend more time with him.

“I can show you around the city. I’m sure I can find some fun things for us to do.” 

“I would love that. So, how do you like living in Brooklyn?” he asked. 

Beth guessed he had probably played a show or two in Brooklyn, but maybe he didn’t remember much about it. It was another place that he probably didn’t get to explore. It wasn’t usually a place that many tourists come to anyway, as most visitors usually stick to Manhattan.

“I love Brooklyn. It’s close enough to the city, so it’s easy to commute to work. And I love all the little shops and restaurants around here. But I do miss being in a house, though. If I ever move out of an apartment, I’d love to have a yard where I could garden and grow my own fruits and vegetables to cook with.”

“Oh, you cook?”

“Well, I’m no Ina Garten, but I try.”

“Tell me your favorite dish to make.”

“I love pasta so it would either have to be Spaghetti Bolognese or carbonara. My family is Italian, so it’s the kind of food I grew up on.”

“If I’m lucky, maybe you’ll make it for me one day.”

“I would love to make you dinner,” she smiled.

As the night went on, they continued to drink and get to know each other. The alcohol was helping both of them relax and take some of the pressure off. They were both enjoying learning more about each other. 

“So, let’s go back to all this research you did on me. What exactly did all this research entail?” Harry asked.

“Well, other than talking to some people that knew you, I watched a lot of videos. But that didn’t help. It doesn’t matter if I watched a thousand of your interviews, because you never actually answer the questions anyway,” she laughed.

“I just don’t like random people knowing too many details about my personal life,” Harry explained.

“No, I get it. That’s fair. You do get asked some weird questions. But I’m just saying… watching your interviews doesn’t exactly mean that I know much about you.”

“Did you listen to any of our music or watch any of our music videos?” he asked. 

“Of course! I watched every video. I listened to every song.” 

“I’m not sure if I believe you.”

“You want to test me?”

“What’s your least favorite music video?” he asked.

“Why wouldn’t you ask about my favorite video?” she questioned.

“Because I want to know that you can be critical to me. I need that. Especially if we’re going to be working together. This is never going to work if we can’t be honest with each other,” he told her.

“Ok fine…” she had to think for a moment. “I guess it would have to be…Steal my Girl? It was just so odd to me. It seemed like you guys took every idea you ever had and smashed it into one video. Or you reached a level of fame that they gave you anything you asked for. Can we get a monkey? Sure. Can we get sumo wrestlers? Sure. Can we get Danny DeVito to be in it for absolutely no reason? Sure.”

“You didn’t have to be THAT honest.”

“I’m sorry…If it’s any help, I like the song itself,” she told him.

“Ok fine. What’s your least favorite song?”

“Oh… uhhh… What is it called? I kept skipping it…” she tried to remember, so she took out her phone and looked through some of their songs to jog her memory. “Oh, Something Great. That’s it.”

“I WROTE THAT ONE.”

“I… I mean… the lyrics are fine. I guess? I’m sorry. This feels mean. I don’t like this,” she said. She was starting to worry that she was hurting his feelings.

“No, no. It’s okay. I asked for your opinion. I appreciate the honesty. And I’ve heard much worse said about me. But it’s nice to know that you don’t like a song I wrote, and you’ll be working with me,” he joked.

“Technically I don’t have to like the music, I just have to promote it,” she joked.

“Oh, thanks, that’s very comforting,” he said, sarcastically. 

“I don’t want to be mean to you. Why don’t you say something mean about me to make it even?” she offered.

“What mean things could I possibly have to say about you?”

“Well, maybe once you learn more about me, you’ll come up with something. But for now, I have a secret to tell you, Harry.”

“What is it? You can tell me.”

“I’ve never seen the Notebook,” she admitted.

Harry got up from the booth as if he was going to leave. “That’s it. That was the last straw. Of everything you’ve said, that was the most offensive,” he teased.

“No… I’m sorry… Please don’t go.”

The two of them stayed in the corner of that bar until the last call. Neither of them had realized that they had been talking until 2 AM. It didn’t feel like they had been talking for 6 hours, because the time flew by so quickly as they learned more about each other. And luckily, they had gotten through the night without anyone bothering Harry. When Dave brought over their check, they both instinctively reached for it. 

“I brought you here. Let me take care of it,” Beth offered.

“Nope. Absolutely not. I will not accept that. I was the one who asked you out,” Harry said.

“But what about this being a business meeting? What kind of person would I be if I didn’t pay for the client’s meal?” she tried to say, knowing that it was a bit of a stretch.

“What kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed the lady to pay for the meal?” he responded. 

After their back and forth, Beth gave in. By the end of the night, they were both slightly tipsy. Like the proper gentleman that he is, Harry walked Bethany back to her apartment. To keep each other steady, they held on to one another as they made the short walk back to her apartment. Beth wished that the walk would’ve been longer so that he didn’t have to leave so quickly.

“Well, I had a lovely time with you tonight. Thank you for showing me a little part of Brooklyn,” Harry said.

“I had a great time too. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

The two had barely finished their first date, and they were already looking forward to their second one. They just couldn’t get enough of each other. They never wanted the night to end. 

The two of them were almost on top of each other. Beth was so close to Harry that she could feel his breath. She could smell the warm and spicy aroma of his cologne. As she looked into his eyes, any stress than she initially had was now evaporated. At that moment, she felt completely comfortable with him. He was right in front of her face as if he was contemplating kissing her. 

“I look forward to it. Goodnight Bethany,” he said, as he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Goodnight, Harry,” she said, unable to contain her smile. It wasn’t an intense kiss, but it left her wanting more. 

Harry watched her unlock the door to her apartment, making sure that she got in okay. She considered inviting him inside, but she knew where that would lead. Knowing that she was a little tipsy, she had to deny her urges. If she was going to sleep with Harry Styles, she wanted to remember every single detail. But she felt comfort knowing that they were going to spend the next day together.


	3. Chapter 3

With his day off, Harry had originally planned on exploring the city by himself. He thought that he would wander down the streets of New York and explore some shops. But when Harry met Beth, he instantly felt drawn to her. He knew that spending the day with her would be so much better than wandering around the city by himself. He didn't care what she had planned because he just wanted to be around her.

Talking to her felt effortless. On their first date, they probably would've kept talking for several more hours if the bar hadn't been closing down. From the moment he dropped her off, he was looking forward to seeing her again. Knowing that he had to be traveling back home soon, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

Although Harry initially protested, Beth insisted on going to pick up Harry, especially since he picked her up the night before. Around 11 AM, Beth walked into the lobby of his hotel, carrying something special for him. She immediately went to the front desk, where she had to show ID to get up to Harry's room. After returning Beth's ID, the receptionist led Beth to the elevator, which needed a special key to access Harry's floor. Beth felt a level of comfort knowing that Harry had some level of security so that random people couldn't get into his hotel room. The elevator took Beth up the penthouse, where Harry was staying.

Beth struggled to knock on his hotel room door, as she was holding a large paper brown bag in her hands.

"Oh, you're early! Sorry, I was just getting dressed. Come, in please," he said, as he stood there, without a shirt.

"That's okay, really..." Beth said.

She certainly didn't mind seeing him shirtless. She couldn't help but stare at his toned, muscular body, as she admired the tattoos on his chest and arms. Although she had seen so many pictures of Harry, there was nothing quite like staring at him in person. As her mind began to wander, Beth was particularly focused on his arms. For some reason, a man's arms were always the biggest turn on for her. She started thinking about all the things she wanted him to do to her. She imagined Harry picking her up and placing her on the kitchen countertop as he stood over her, with her legs in between his. She snapped out of it, her cheeks turning red from all the dirty thoughts she was having.

"You don't HAVE to put a shirt on if you don't want to..." was all she could say.

"Are you objectifying my body?" he joked.

"I mean, you're not terrible to look at," she admitted.

"Not terrible, that's so nice of you to say," he said, sarcastically. "How rude of me, let me help you with that," he said, grabbing the large bag out of her hands.

"What do you have here?" he asked.

"I got us breakfast."

"I knew there was a reason that I liked you," he said, as his eyes lit up. "So, what did you bring for us to eat?" he asked.

"Well, I was trying to give you a real New York experience today. So, I had to start our day with bagels. I got a few different kinds," she told him, as she pulled each one out of the bag. "First, we have a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, which is basically a New York staple. That one's my personal favorite, so I got two of those. Then I got some other random bagels. We have plain, poppy seed, everything, and sesame. Oh, and I got a few different kinds of cream cheese."

"That's a lot of options," he said.

"Well, I didn't know what you would like, so I wanted to be prepared."

Beth was used to preparing food and dressing rooms for lots of different musicians. Some of them can be very picky, so she was used to be overly prepared. She never wanted people to be disappointed, but she was starting to think that she was being overbearing. This wasn't the time for her to be treating Harry like a client.

"Sorry, was this too much? I'm overdoing it, aren't I?" she worried.

"No, no. Absolutely not. I love it. I'll have the same one you're having. What can I get you to drink?" he asked.

"Can I have a water, please?" she asked.

"Of course, you can, darling."

"So, tell me," he said, in between eating his sandwich, "What are we going to be doing today?"

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise."

"Should I be worried? I've seen Law and Order. A lot can happen in New York," he joked.

"I guess you'll just have to trust me."

Harry was only teasing her. From the moment that he met Beth, he knew that she was trustworthy.

"Okay. I trust you," he said.

"But I can tell you, we're not going to do any of that cheesy tourist stuff. No Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty. That's not a real New York experience," she told him.

"I'll do whatever you say."

It didn't matter where she took him. As long as they were together.

"I have to be honest. I'm a little surprised that you're not hungover from last night," he said.

"I didn't drink THAT much. And I guess I can hold my liquor well."

"Maybe you belong in the UK."

"Maybe one day."

As they finished up their breakfast, they headed down to grab a taxi.

"38th and 9th," Beth said, giving the cab driver the address. It was a short drive before they arrived at their destination.

"Break Bar?" he said, reading the sign on the front of the building. "Didn't we just go to a bar last night? It's barely noon. Are you an alcoholic?" he asked, somewhat jokingly.

"Not an alcoholic, thanks for asking," she laughed, "But it's not that kind of bar."

"If it's not a bar, what is it?"

"You can choose a baseball bat or a sledgehammer. We both go into a room filled with glasses, computers, TVs, and lots of other random stuff. We have 30 minutes to destroy as much of it as we possibly can," she explained.

"And what is the purpose of this?" he asked.

"To let out all of your aggression."

"Do you think of me as an aggressive person?" Harry asked.

"No, not at all. Quite the opposite. I think you are a very reserved, gentle soul. But I'd imagine that you have some aggression inside of you, especially with all the pressure you're under. I just thought this would be a healthy way for you to release any built-up aggression. And I think it will be fun," she explained.

Harry rarely mad or aggressive. For the most part, he suppressed those feelings. But on the rare chance that he got angry, it usually shocked the people around him. Harry had the stress of his upcoming album, with the pressure of coming from a successful boyband. Sometimes Harry felt like he had the world on his shoulders, and he had to balance everyone's expectations of him.

"I'll give it a try," Harry agreed.

Although he was a bit apprehensive, he was willing to trust Beth. After signing all the release forms and getting into some protective gear, the two entered the room, filled with plenty of things for them to destroy. Heavy metal music was playing in the room, which helped put both of them in a more destructive mood.

"Would you like to go first?" Harry asked.

"Oh, no. You're the guest here. I think you should go first," she insisted.

Harry looked around at all his choices. He saw a computer desktop and decided that was the first thing that he wanted to smash. It reminded him of all the rumors that have been spread about him online.

"While I'm smashing this, should I think about all the people who have wronged me?" he asked.

"I think that's the best way to do this."

"Can you step back, please? I don't want to hurt you," he asked.

As Beth gave him some space, Harry picked up the sledgehammer. As he held it tightly in his hands, Harry pulled his arms back and thrusted it forward. The sledgehammer slammed against the computer screen, causing the glass to shatter into a million pieces. Beth was smiling as she watched Harry let out his aggression. He looked like he was enjoying himself.

"Was there someone in particular you were thinking about there?" she asked.

"Not one person, specifically. It's more like an entire group of people."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Wait a minute... is this a therapy session?"

"Only if you want it to be."

Harry didn't mind opening up to Beth. The more time he spent with her, the more comfortable he was becoming.

"I was just thinking about all the people who've put pressure on me over the years. All the people who pushed and overworked me," Harry began to explain.

Beth knew a little bit about how One Direction were treated. But it didn't take inside knowledge for her to see that they were overworked. In five years, they did five albums, four world tours, and countless other media engagements. It was never-ending. They barely even got a chance to work on the next album. Each album was written and recorded while they were on tour, in a hotel room, or backstage at one of the venues. And this all started when Harry was only 16 years old. Luckily for Harry, the label wasn't being as pushy this time around. He didn't have to rush to complete his album, and he could take as much time as he needed. But Beth also wanted to act as an extra level of security to ensure that Harry wasn't pushed too far.

"I just want you to know, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that you're never overworked like that again," she promised him.

"Well, I appreciate that. But it's your turn now."

"I think I'm going with the baseball bat," she decided.

"You never told me about that guy," Harry suddenly remembered that Beth vaguely mentioned a guy last night, but she didn't tell him much about it. "Maybe that's something you want to let off some steam about?"

"Oh yeah... that guy..."

"You don't have to tell me if it's too personal."

"No, that's okay. His name is Mike, my ex-boyfriend. We were together for almost a year. Towards the end, I had some other issues going on that caused me to go on a bit of a downward spiral, emotionally. Not only was he not there for me, but I also found out that he was cheating on me."

The situation with Mike was complicated, but that was all Beth was willing to share at that moment. It's not that she didn't trust Harry. She just wasn't ready to talk about all of it. There were some things involving Mike that she never told anyone else. But Harry was grateful that Beth was slowly opening up to him, and he didn't want to push her any further. She would talk about it when and if she was ready. This just wasn't the right time or place.

"Well, he seems like a dick. But you're better off without him. You don't need someone like that in your life," Harry said.

"You're right. But I guess there's still a bit of unresolved resentment for him," Beth said, as she swung the baseball bat right across a line of glasses. The sound of all that glass shattering was oddly satisfying. Beth felt a sense of relief, like she was letting go of some build up feelings.

After their time was up, they had both worked up a bit of a sweat. Beth tried not to stare too much, as she admired Harry's sweaty body.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"I'm not going to lie. I was a bit skeptical at first. But that was a lot of fun. How about you? Did you enjoy it?" he asked.

"I did. And I kind of enjoyed seeing you get a little aggressive. It was a bit of a turn on if I'm being honest," she admitted.

Harry couldn't help but smile. He appreciated that she was feeling the chemistry between them, and that she was confident enough to tell him how she felt.

"Well, I certainly enjoyed seeing you get a little sweaty," Harry responded, as they both smiled at each other.

With all of that physical activity, they had also developed a bit of an appetite.

"Does our next stop include food?" Harry asked.

"Would you like to get some pizza? Another New York classic," Beth said.

"Of course. Whatever you say. I'll follow you anywhere."

They walked just a few blocks away. Luckily, when you're in New York, you never have to go too far to get good pizza. Harry kept his head down, hoping that people wouldn't recognize him. As they entered the pizzeria, Beth ordered two slices of pizza and a soda. Harry ordered the same. Beth instinctively went into her purse, reaching for her wallet.

"Please, let me pay for something," Harry stopped her.

"You paid last night," Beth argued.

"And you paid for us to destroy a bunch of stuff. How much do I owe you for that, by the way?" He asked.

"You don't owe me anything," Beth responded.

After the two's little argument, they sat down in a booth to enjoy their pizza.

"Are you liking New York so far?" she asked.

"With you as my tour guide, absolutely."

"So, tell me. With all the traveling you've done, what's your favorite place you've ever visited?" she asked.

"Ummmm..." he said, needing to think for a moment. "I guess it would probably have to be either Japan or Australia. But to be honest, I usually didn't have much time to explore the places that I traveled to. When I was in the band, everything was so hectic. We were constantly going from one town to the next. We either didn't have time to explore the city, or we were too exhausted from doing the shows to go out. Even with New York, I barely get a chance to spend much time here," he explained.

"Is there something you've always wanted to do in New York that you've never had time for?" she asked.

"Well, I've always wanted to see a Yankee game. I've never really had the time to do that. I guess that seems like a very American thing to do. But I also like exploring a town and finding all the little hidden gems, like the bar we were at last night, or this pizza place," Harry explained.

"Did you enjoy your pizza?" she asked, as they finished their slices.

"I did. But bagels and pizza, that's a lot of carbs for today. I'll have to do an extra workout when I get home," Harry said, as he took a sip of his soda.

"I mean... we can do some exercise later if you want..." Beth said.

Harry couldn't help but spit out his drink. He was surprised that she was being so brazen. But he didn't mind. And he certainly didn't have a problem with what she was implying. Beth secretly enjoyed making him blush.

"So, what's next on your agenda?" he asked.

"Well, I only have dinner reservations for tonight. Other than that, I thought you might just want to wander around the city and see what strikes you."

"Sounds perfect," he said.

They strolled arm and arm down the streets of New York City, looking for something to catch their eye. Harry spotted a vintage record shop and he was immediately intrigued.

"Have you ever been there?" he asked.

"You know... I actually don't own a record player," she admitted.

"Wait. Seriously? You work at a record company and you don't own a record player?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm not sure why. I guess most of the time I'm on listening to music on the go. I'm usually listening on my phone while I'm commuting or on the computer while I'm at work," she explained. Although Beth didn't own a record player, she still didn't mind going inside.

"Speaking of work, I never really asked you what you do there. What does your job entail?" he asked.

"Basically, I'm the logistics and planning person, but I have nothing to do with the creative aspect. So, with a music video, for example, I don't have input about the concept. You just tell me what you want, and I figure out how to make it happen," she explained.

"Will you be planning my tour as well?"

"I will. It's my first time doing this for an artist of your scale, but I'm excited about the challenge."

"Well, I think you'll do a great job. And it's my first time doing a tour on my own, so we're in this together," he said.

They spent some time rummaging through old records, as Harry found ones that interested him. He found old bands that his father used to listen to, and other music that inspired him growing up. As he went through each record, he told Beth about some of his memories. He pulled out _Rumours,_ the album by Fleetwood Mac.

"This was one of my favorite albums growing up. This is the kind of music I aspire to make," Harry told Beth.

Harry pulled out a few different albums, including ones by Prince, David Bowie, and Elton John. He talked about the artists that have inspired him. He listened to them when he was younger, hoping that he would grow up and be like them. Harry always knew that he wanted to entertain people. Performing was Harry's favorite part of the job, and it was something he couldn't wait to get back into. Although Beth didn't own a record player, she spent almost two hours in the shop listening to Harry's stories. She certainly didn't mind listening. He spoke with such passion that she could listen to him forever.

Later on, the two had dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant in Little Italy. The two enjoyed their dinner, as they continued to learn more details about one another. But unlike the night before when they could've kept talking all night, this night was a little different. Beth didn't want to be at this restaurant all night. She was in a bit more of a rush to get home. And she wanted Harry to come home with her. She already knew what she wanted to do with him.

As the night was ending, Beth began thinking about all the things she heard about Harry, and all of that "research" she did. She realized that everyone was right about him. Harry only exceeded her expectations. Harry was nothing but a kind, considerate, funny, gentleman. Beth didn't know where their relationship would go, but she felt grateful to have gotten the chance to spend any amount of time with him.

Just like the night before, Harry took Beth back to her apartment building. But she knew that this night was going to be different. While a part of her didn't want the night to end, the other part of her couldn't wait for them to get back to her apartment. They both felt the tension between them.

"Well, I had another lovely day with you, Bethany," Harry said, as they arrived back at her apartment building.

"Harry, I don't want to waste any more time. I think we should make the most of tonight," Beth told him. She had no idea when she would see Harry again, or if she would ever get an opportunity like this again. This was not the time to be shy. She knew exactly what she wanted.

"What does that mean?" Harry asked. He just wanted to be clear. There's a reason they call him the consent king.

"I want you," she pleaded.

Harry leaned closer towards Beth, staring at her lips, which he had been focused on all night. He gently caressed her cheek, as he leaned down and placed his lips against hers. Beth immediately felt the sparks fly between the two of them. But she didn't just want to kiss him. She wanted more.

"Will you come upstairs with me?" she asked.

Harry didn't have to be asked twice. He gladly entered her apartment, happy to do what the two of them had been thinking about since they laid eyes on each other. 


	4. Chapter 4

When Beth woke up that next morning, she had an instant smile on her face. As she remembered the night before, she couldn’t think of the last time she had so much fun with anyone, let alone another guy. And once they got back to her apartment, Harry was everything that she could’ve imagined. He was intensely passionate, yet gentle and caring. Throughout the night, he constantly made sure that she was comfortable. 

She rolled over in her bed, expecting to see Harry lying there next to her. She was a bit disappointed to see that the other half of her bed was empty. Regardless of what happened next, Beth was grateful for the night the two had shared. She felt lucky that she was able to spend any amount of time with him. Beth figured that Harry got up and left late last night, or early in the morning. She assumed that he wouldn’t want the added pressure of being in her bed in the morning. Maybe that would make things too complicated. Maybe he left after he got what he wanted. 

Beth pulled herself out of bed and headed to the kitchen. She was a bit taken aback to see Harry standing at her stove, wearing nothing but his underwear. 

“Good morning, love. Did I wake you? I was hoping to surprise you,” Harry said, as he stood as the stove, flipping pancakes.

“You’re making breakfast?” she asked, still feeling surprised. She started to wonder if she was still dreaming. She was also starting to feel guilty for assuming that he left.

“I’m sorry, is that weird? This is your place. I shouldn’t have gone through and used all your things,” he said.

“No, of course not. Don’t be silly. This is really sweet of you,” she said, which caused Harry to smile.

“Do you like chocolate chips in your pancakes?” he asked.

“I LOVE chocolate chips in my pancakes,” she told him. 

“Great, I’m almost finished. Why don’t you sit down?” he asked, as he made the final batch of pancakes. 

Although she had just been with him the night before, she couldn’t help but stare at his shirtless body. She tried to shake away those thoughts. She didn’t want him to feel like she was only interested in his body. No matter how physically attractive Harry was, his appearance wasn’t the only thing that she was drawn too. She wouldn’t have been able to spend the last two days with him if her attraction was only about his body.

“I hope you’re hungry,” Harry said, caring a large stack of pancakes. 

“Starving.” 

“So, tell me. Did you sleep well?” 

“I did. You certainly tired me out,” she told him.

“Was it too much? Do you regret last night?” he asked.

“Never.”

“Speaking of which, I should probably put some clothes on,” he mentioned.

“Not necessary. You’re welcome to wear as much or as little clothing as you’d like,” Beth said. She was perfectly happing to see him in minimal clothing. 

“Do you like your pancakes?” he asked.

“They’re delicious. Thank you for making breakfast.”

“You seemed surprised that I can handle the kitchen. I used to work in a bakery you know…”

“I thought you were just the cashier,” she joked.

“Did I tell you that or did you hear that from an interview?” he asked.

“Honestly, I can’t keep track anymore,” she admitted.

They both laughed, but Beth knew that she had to bring up something more serious.

“Not to ruin this beautiful moment, but I think there’s something that we have to talk about,” she said, hesitantly. As much as she wanted this bliss to continue, she knew that they eventually had to talk about reality. 

“What is it? You can talk to me about anything.”

“How are we going to continue what’s going on between us? I think that whatever we are, needs to stay between us. I don’t even know what my bosses would do if they found out about us,” Beth said.

As much as she wanted to imagine a perfect scenario with Harry where they could date normally, she knew that wasn’t the reality. But they also couldn’t just go on and act like nothing happened. It’s not like they were never going to see each other again, because she was going to be working on the promotion for his album. They both knew that they had to be careful about how they continued their relationship.

“Well, as you know, I’ve never been a fan of sharing much about my personal life. When the public finds out, things just become more complicated.”

“So, we’re on the same page? We’re keeping this between us?” Beth asked, wanting to clarify.

“Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about you. I’ve really enjoyed our time together. I’d still like to call you personally, not just to talk about the business. But only if you’re okay with that,” Harry said.

“I would love that.”

After spending their Sunday morning together, Harry needed to get back to his hotel so he could leave for his flight. He needed to go back home to London so he could continue to work on his album. But he promised to call when he got home. He was very clear that he wanted to keep the personal relationship going between the two of them. 

The next morning, Harry sent Beth a text as soon as he landed. He couldn’t wait to talk to her again.

“Good morning, love. I hope I didn’t wake you. I know it’s still early over there. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed our weekend together. I really appreciated you showing me around your city. I’m looking forward to the next time I can see you. I’m hoping you can come to London, and I’ll return the favor. Talk to you soon,” the text read.

“I had a great time with you too. I’m heading off to work now, but can I call you later tonight?” she asked.

“I prefer FaceTime so I can see your beautiful face.”

After spending the weekend with Harry, Beth felt like she was on cloud nine. She got so wrapped up in their time together, that she almost forgot that she was supposed to be working for him. But when she spent time with Harry, his persona faded away. When they were together, he wasn’t a globally successful superstar. He was just Harry. A kind, gentle, soul with a huge heart. 

Once Beth got back to reality, she started to worry about how her relationship with Harry would affect her work. She wondered if it would make her job more complicated. Would she still be able to do her job effectively, now that she was involved with Harry? This was her first big client, and she didn’t want her bosses to doubt her. That’s why she knew that the two of them had to keep their relationship a secret for a while. Luckily, Harry was happy to keep things private, since he’s had enough people digging into his personal life. 

Despite her worries, Beth remained hopeful that she would still be able to do her job as expected. In fact, she hoped that she could deliver beyond anyone’s expectations. Now that she got to know Harry, she wanted to push even harder to make sure that his album succeeded. Beth was willing to do everything in her power to help Harry become the most successful artist that he could be. He deserved the world, and she wanted to help give it to him. However, she also understood that Harry deserved to be treated like a human being, and she didn’t want to push him beyond his own limits. 

When she removed the personal side of it, Beth was beginning to realize how difficult it was going to be to promote Harry. She thought that it might even be more difficult than promoting a new artist. If you have a new artist, it’s like a blank canvas, and the artist can create whatever image they want. But with Harry, he already had an established image and reputation. Whether that image was good or bad, people already had their preconceived notions about him. Obviously, there would be people that knew him from One Direction. But there would also be people hearing his voice for the first time. In a way, the goal was to reinvent Harry, while remaining true to who he is as an artist. But in the same sense, you also don’t want to alienate his existing fanbase. It was a lot to balance.

She walked into the office Monday morning, passing Ron’s office. 

“Good morning Beth. How was your weekend?” he asked.

“Boring. I didn’t do much. Just your average weekend,” she lied.

“By the way, I just want to make sure I was clear the other day. We are expecting big things from Harry Styles. I want you to be completely focused on him,” Ron said.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be thinking about him 24/7,” she assured him. That part was true.

After what felt like the longest workday of her life, Beth was excited to get home so she could talk to Harry again. When Beth arrived home from work, there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting on the steps of her apartment. The card read, “Had a lovely weekend with you. Hope to see you again very soon. – H.” 

She sent Harry a quick text to let him know that she was home. Within seconds, she received a Facetime call from him. It’s almost as if he was sitting there, staring at his phone, waiting for her. 

“Harry! I was just about to call you. Thank you so much for the flowers. You didn’t have to do that. But they are gorgeous,” she said. 

“Not nearly as gorgeous as you.”

“Oh stop…You’re not too bad to look at either.”

“So how was work today?” he asked.

“Well, I go to work, and I talk about you all day. Then I come home, I talk to you. IT’S TOO MUCH HARRY,” she joked.

“Well, maybe they should assign you to a different artist. Or maybe I should just hang up the phone then…”

“You know I’m kidding. I could talk about you all day.”

“So, what were they talking about today? What should I be expecting?” Harry asked.

“Today some of us were having a lovely discussion trying to predict if you’ll be the next Justin Timberlake.”

“And what was your stance on that debate?” he wondered.

“I don’t think you’re going to be Justin Timberlake,” she stated firmly.

“Ouch. That one hurt.”

“I just think you’re going to be so much better than Justin Timberlake. And I don’t think it’s fair to compare you to anyone else. You shouldn’t strive to be like anyone else. I think you should strive to be the best possible version of Harry Styles,” she explained. 

“You told them that?”

“I did.”

“Well, I appreciate that.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile. She could tell that he was flattered. Harry had been in the music industry since he was 16 years old. He had been taken advantage of in the past. But after getting a few years of experience, it was easier for him to identify the people that he could trust. Harry felt relieved knowing that he had someone working for him that was always there to support him. Having her support helped ease some of his worries about the start of his solo career. 

“Oh, I almost forgot. I received a little package today, from a special someone,” he said, holding up a small box. 

“I wonder what it could be…”

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said.

“You’re not the only one who can send gifts. And it’s not much anyway. It’s not nearly as nice as the flowers you sent me,” she said, starting to feel a bit guilty that her gift wasn’t good enough.

Harry opened the package to find a colorful assortment of different nail polishes.

“Is this a joke? Are you mocking me for wearing nail polish?” he asked.

“NO! Absolutely not,” she quickly said. She wasn’t sure if he was joking or if he was actually offended. “I just saw them online and I thought of you. I know that people make fun of you for wearing nail polish. But I was my little way of saying that I support you. I love that you don’t care what other people think,” she explained.

The night she got home after their first date, she couldn’t sleep. She was up all night thinking about Harry. She thought about sending Harry a little something, when an ad for nail polish came up on her social media page. So, she ordered a bunch of bottles for Harry, having them shipped overnight. She bought this gift before she got the beautiful, extravagant flowers, so her gift was feeling a bit silly and underwhelming. 

“I love them,” he said, with his face lighting up. 

“Really?”

“I’m going to paint my nails tonight. Which one should I use first? I think I like this purple one… I’m so excited,” he said, as he looked through all the colorful options.

The two continued chatting for a few hours, with the conversation easily flowing between them. Although Beth was worried about where they stood in their relationship, she was enjoying the moment for now. The least she knew that it wasn’t just a hookup or a one-night stand, because they haven’t stopped communicating since they met.


	5. Chapter 5

For the past few months, Beth and Harry had been communicating every single day. It wasn’t like they felt pressure to stay in constant contact. It just came naturally to them. Every morning Beth would wake up to a good morning text from Harry, even though it was already the afternoon in London. Despite their busy schedules, on top of the time difference, they still managed to stay in contact every day. Some nights Beth would stay up until 3 AM talking to Harry, even when she had to get up for work in just a few hours. They tried to FaceTime every day, but when they couldn’t, there would still be lots of calls or text messages. Almost every time they communicated, they talked about when they would be able to see each other again. They both couldn’t wait to spend time together again.

In addition to them talking on a personal level, Beth and Harry also had business to take care of. Sometimes it was difficult to separate the business from their personal lives. As Beth was getting deeper into the initial stages of planning his tour, sometimes she needed to talk to Harry as an artist and performer. Sometimes the only way that Beth was able to separate the two aspects of their lives was to distinguish by which phone she was calling from. If she was calling from her work phone, she wanted to talk about business. They had to be careful not to be flirty, just in case someone was listening. But, if she was calling from her cell phone, they were free to talk about anything, and he could get as flirty as he wanted.

Despite their efforts to separate the two worlds, sometimes they still blended together, and Beth couldn’t help herself. One night, Beth got on the phone with Harry immediately after coming from work. She was excited to tell him all about the progress she was making with his tour. She thought that he would be excited too because she knew that performing was his favorite part of being in the music business. But that night, as soon as she got on Facetime with Harry, he immediately seemed distant.

“How was your day?” He asked, without even smiling.

“I’ve been in contact with a lot of different venues getting their availabilities and trying to work out all the dates. But I think you’re going to be happy with it,” she told him.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he said, as he could barely even look into her eyes. It was like he didn’t even want to be talking to her.

At first, she just brushed it off, assuming that he was just having a bad day. It’s not like she always expected him to be happy and smiling all the time. But then again, they didn’t have to be calling each other every day either. She thought that he wanted to talk to her, so she was a bit confused as to why he was being distant. Maybe he was just upset that she was talking about work too much.

“Harry, is everything okay? You seem off…”

“I’m fine,” he said, unconvincingly.

“If something’s wrong you can tell me. I’m here for you,” she said.

He took a long pause and a deep breath before finally responding.

“I feel like I have to tell you something,” he said.

“What is it? You can tell me anything,” Beth said. With the way her brain worked, she was worried about all the things that could be wrong.

“Last night I went out to a bar. I met up with a few friends…” Harry started to explain. He spoke slowly, as he attempted to get the words out.

“Okay… and? What happened?”

“I slept with someone,” he admitted, bluntly.

She stayed silent at first because she wasn’t sure how she felt about this information.

“So, in the entire time since we’ve met, you’ve slept with one girl?” she asked.

“Yes, and I feel terrible about it.”

“One girl? That’s it? To be honest with you, I kind of assumed that you had been sleeping with multiple people this entire time,” Beth admitted.

This was just Beth’s immediate reaction. If she really thought about their relationship, it’s not like they had any kind of label that would imply that Harry had to be faithful. Logically, it made sense that he would have the freedom to sleep with someone else. That’s what Beth’s brain was telling her. Despite that logic, it didn’t change the fact that Harry sleeping with someone else still hurt Beth’s heart. Beth cared about Harry a lot. The more that she talked with him each night, the more she felt like their relationship meant something special. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe Harry didn’t feel the same way.

But Beth could tell that Harry was surprised by her initial response. He was expecting her to get angry. He thought that she would judge him and ask him a million questions about the situation. Who was she? How did they meet? How long did they know each other? Was this their first time together? What was she like in bed? Although those questions came to Beth’s mind, she didn’t want to know the answers to those kinds of questions. She thought it was better if she didn’t know. But this wasn’t the reaction that Harry was expecting, and somehow, he seemed offended by it.

“Is that really what you think of me? That I’m constantly sleeping around with different women every day?” he asked.

“Harry, I just try to look at things realistically. And the reality is that you’re an internationally successful superstar. You could have any woman that you want. I guess I just assumed that you would be taking advantage of that.”

“I NEVER take advantage of women,” he defended. Now, on top of being surprised, he was getting a bit angry with her.

“I didn’t mean it like that. Taking advantage was a poor choice of words. I know that you would never be disrespectful to a woman. All I meant was that I can’t really blame you if you wanted to sleep with other people. It’s not like we ever defined our relationship.”

“I thought you knew that I hated the perception that I’m some womanizer. I thought you knew the real me, not the person that the media portrays.”

“You’re the one who slept with someone else. Why are you getting so defensive?” she questioned.

Beth didn’t understand why he was getting so upset. She was just trying to rationalize his behavior. She was trying to tell him why he didn’t have to feel guilty. She thought that’s what he would’ve wanted.

“Have you been sleeping with other people?” Harry blurted out, in an accusing tone. Now he was trying to rationalize why she was reacting this way.

“No. I haven’t, actually. I don’t really have that much time to go out and meet people. I’ve been working almost every day, planning for your album and tour. Then when I have free time, I come home and talk to you,” she said.

Beth was starting to get irritated at the fact that Harry was starting to turn on her, as if she did something wrong. She spent so much of her time focused on him, so she didn’t like what he was accusing her of. But to be fair, Beth didn’t feel like he would’ve had the right to get upset, even if she did sleep with someone else. Harry must have sensed that she was annoyed.

“So, you are upset then? You’re mad that I slept with someone? Can you just tell me the truth?” he asked.

“What do you want from me, Harry? Do you want me to be furious at you? Do you want me to yell and curse at you as if you cheated on me?” she questioned.

“That’s kind of how I expected this conversation to go,” he admitted.

“Well, maybe you don’t know me well enough.”

“Maybe I don’t.”

“You know what… I think I should go. Maybe I need to be alone right now,” Beth told him.

“If that’s how you feel… Goodnight, Bethany.”

“Goodnight Harry.”

Beth got off the phone with Harry so quickly, because she could sense herself getting angrier, and she didn’t want that. She didn’t want to say anything mean, that she couldn’t take back. She thought it would be better if they both had some time to cool off. Beth went to bed that night, unable to sleep because of the thoughts running through her head. She imagined another girl laying in Harry’s bed, touching him, and getting to be with him. Beth tried to brush away these thoughts because she didn’t want to imagine Harry being with anyone else.

The next day, she was a bit surprised that she still got a text from Harry.

_“Good morning, love. Can we talk later?”_ the text read. Beth agreed to call him after work.

Most times Beth goes home looking forward to her talks with Harry. It’s usually the highlight of her day. But this time, she knew that she and Harry would need to have a difficult conversation.

“Bethany, I am sorry about the way I reacted last night. You are entitled to your views and feelings, and I never want to make you feel belittled. I feel guilty about being with someone else, and I never meant to hurt you,” Harry apologized. He looked like he barely slept.

“But why do you feel guilty?” Beth asked. It’s not like she was his girlfriend.

“Because I really enjoy what you and I have together. I wouldn’t want anything to jeopardize that,” Harry said.

“I accept your apology. But I need to ask you something.”

“What is it?” he asked, probably assuming that she wanted more details about the person he slept with.

“Do you want to give us a label?” she asked.

She felt like not having a label might become a source of conflict for them. It would be difficult for them to know what is considered “cheating” if they aren’t able to define their relationship. 

“I don’t really feel the need to define our relationship. I really like the way things are between us, and I don’t want that to change,” Harry said.

“If we don’t have a label, I think we need to set up one ground rule,” Beth said.

“What’s your rule?” he asked.

“I want us to have complete and open honesty with each other about everything. I think we should tell each other when we’re upset, or if we think something isn’t working. And I want you to be honest about other people. I don’t want to read about you and some girl on TMZ. I’d much rather hear the truth from you first,” Beth explained.

“Okay. Total honesty. I can accept that rule. But does that go for you too?” he asked.

“Of course. I’ve always been honest with you. I don’t enjoy the thought of you sleeping with other people. But I do respect you telling me about it,” Beth said.

“So, if I ask you a question, will you tell me the truth?”

“Absolutely,” Beth responded.

“Do you feel like I cheated on you?” Harry asked.

Beth had been cheating on before, and Harry knew that. It was something that they had spoken about in their late-night talks. Her ex-boyfriend, Mike, used to cheat and lie, then try to manipulate Beth. But she tried to tell herself that this situation different. Harry was nothing like Mike.

“I don’t think I’m your girlfriend, so I guess it’s not cheating. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt,” Beth admitted.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you, Bethany.”

Beth felt like she didn’t have a right to be mad at Harry. It’s not like she and Harry were loyal to one another, at least not exclusively. They never agreed to define their relationship, and they actively avoided using any kind of label. So technically, Harry didn’t do anything wrong.

When she really thought about it, Beth wasn’t angry that Harry slept with another girl. She just felt confused and uncertain about where their relationship stood. Harry was the one who first asked her if they could talk outside of business. He’s the one who wanted to constantly FaceTime her. It’s not that Beth didn’t also want those things. But she didn’t understand why Harry would suggest the constant contact if he wanted the ability to sleep with other people. 

As much as Beth tried to convince herself that Harry’s actions were acceptable, she couldn’t deny the fact that she was still hurt. But it was as if she was angrier at herself, for getting in too deep. Beth didn’t want to think about Harry sleeping with another woman. But she assumed that it was a reality that she had to accept. She had to be foolish and delusional to think that Harry belonged to her.

Over the next few weeks, Beth and Harry returned to their normal routine of calling and texting each other every day. Beth did her best to not put too much pressure on the relationship. She tried not to have too many expectations. For Beth, the most important thing was to maintain some kind of friendship with Harry. Even if they weren’t romantically involved, she still enjoyed communicating with him every day. That wasn’t something she was willing to give up so easily. She wondered if they would be better off continuing on with their normal routine, acting as if nothing happened.


	6. Chapter 6

After their first little fight, Harry and Beth fell back into their normal routine of staying in touch with each other every day. Although Beth wasn’t thrilled by Harry’s actions, she was able to get over the issue and put their fight behind them. Even though they were both busy, they both still found time to connect with one another. They tried to FaceTime every day, with constant calls or texts in between. But she always preferred FaceTime. Who wouldn’t want to stare at Harry’s face?

“How was your day, love?” he asked.

“Busy today. I’m working on the North American part of the tour right now. I was talking to different venues, and talking with Ticketmaster, just going through some of the details,” she told him.

“You know, I just wanted to tell you, I really appreciate how hard you work for me.”

“Well, it’s my job. And I love doing it. But it’s even easier to do it when I know it’s for you,” she told him.

“I wanted to think of something to show you how much I appreciate you. So, I have a little surprise for you,” he told her.

“I don’t know if I’ve told you this. I don’t usually like surprises,” she said.

Somehow, the look on his smiling face told her that she was going to like this surprise.

“I know. You’re a planner. Planning and surprises don’t mix. But I guess technically it’s not a surprise because I’m telling you in advance.”

“Ok, what is it? Tell me, please! The suspense is killing me.”

“I will be in New York for a whole week.”

“Wait… really? You’re not doing promos yet, are you? I don’t have you scheduled for anything,” she said, as she franticly looked through her plan book.

Her mind immediately went to his work. She assumed that she was missing something, that she was supposed to book him for some appearance. Other than touring, that was normally the reason for his traveling.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered. But no, I am not coming for work. I’m coming to see you.”

As soon as Harry left New York, the two of them started talking about the next time that they would be able to see each other. She knew that he would eventually have to come back to New York to promote the album. But now Harry was coming to New York even sooner than she expected. The slight negativity in the back of Beth’s mind made her wonder if Harry made plans to come to New York because he was feeling guilty about sleeping with someone else. Beth tried to push those thoughts away, and focus on the fact that she would be getting to spend time with Harry again, something she’s been hoping for since he left.

“Wait… really? A whole week, just for me?” she questioned.

“Unless you don’t want me…”

“Of course, I want you. I’ve missed you.”

“I miss you too, darling. I know that the guys and I have been working on this album almost nonstop for the past few months. I think they all needed a break. So, everyone is taking the week off to go see their families or take a little vacation,” Harry explained.

By this time, Harry had written most of the songs on his album, but he was just working on finalizing everything. And on her end, she was getting busy planning his tour. He was busy working on the album, she was busy working on the plans to promote it. Harry thought they both needed to slow down a bit and spend time with each other. Harry knew that all this planning and writing was the easy part. Once he starts touring, that’s when the real chaos begins.

“So, you want to spend your entire week off in New York? Do you want me to book your flight and hotel?” she asked, since she was already accustomed to arranging travel for him, and the other artists that she’s worked with in the past. Sometimes she had trouble turning off the businessperson inside of her.

“Nope. I already booked my flight. I can book a hotel room. But I was kind of hoping that I wouldn’t need one...” he said, as he stared at her with these pleading, puppy dog eyes.

“You want to stay with me for a week?” she questioned. She would’ve never pushed something like that onto him, especially since they had only known each other for a few months. At this point, she wasn’t even sure of the definition of their relationship.   
“Only if that’s okay with you,” Harry responded.

“You know, it’s very presumptuous of you to invite yourself into someone else’s home,” she joked.

“Ok, fine. You’re right. Maybe I should go somewhere else on my week off. Maybe Paris. I’ve always wanted to go back to Paris. Or maybe Spain? Or how about Ireland? I could go check and see what Niall is up to,” he teased.  
“NO PLEASE. I was only kidding. Please come. I would love to have you stay with me,” she said.

“Good, because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be on my time off,” he told her.

Beth knew that he was kidding about going to all those other places. But he was still a busy man, so having a week off is a big deal. He could go anywhere in the world, but he wanted to spend his time off with her. She felt flattered that he chose to be with her.

“So, when are you coming?” she asked.

“8 days. I’ll be counting down the days. I can’t wait to see you,” he said.

“Ohhh… that’s so soon. If you’re going to be here for a whole week, I should probably get more tea. Maybe I should learn how to make scones. I can cook for you too. What should we have for dinner? I can get some of your favorite snacks. I need to write this all down,” she started to say, as her words and brain were going a mile a minute.

“See, I knew I had to tell you that I was coming in advance,” he said, laughing at the fact that she was already making all these plans. But he thought it was kind of adorable and endearing that she wanted to have everything prepared for him.

“I’m sorry that I’m a planner, Harry. I thought you knew that by now.”

“Don’t apologize. I like that about you. It’s what makes you good at your job. I know you’ll come up with something fun for us to do. But even if you don’t, doing nothing with you would be pretty great too.”

“Nothing? What do you mean by that Harry?” she asked, pretending not to know.

“I think the kids these days call it Netflix and chill?”

“Aww, you’re getting so hip, using trendy phrases. I’m so proud of you. But if you wanted to just stay in my bed all week, I wouldn’t mind.”

“I’m not going to lie, that sounds like a perfect week,” Harry said.

Although Beth had a few days to plan, her mind was racing of all the things she could do with Harry. As she thought back to his last time in New York, she thought about how their day seemed packed with so many things to do. Beth wanted this time to be different. She didn’t want to plan every minute of the day, like her instincts would normally have her do. Even if Harry wanted to do “nothing” she was okay with that too. But she still had a few things that she would’ve loved to do with Harry, things he probably wouldn’t normally have time for.

Because their relationship, or whatever they were supposed to call it, was supposed to be a secret, Beth wanted to be strategic about where she went with Harry. She wanted to make sure he was protected so that he wouldn’t get swarmed with people. But even if they went to a small place, they still ran the risk of someone taking pictures of them. She wasn’t quite sure how she would explain that to her bosses at the record label.

But no matter where they went, Harry was going to be staying with her for a whole week. And that was a huge step in Beth’s mind. Even though they had only known each other for a few months, he already wanted to spend a lot of time together. Beth felt like this week would tell her a lot about the potential future of their relationship. It was kind of like a test run. If they stayed together for an entire week, they would be able to see what the other person is truly like. When you’re with someone for a few hours, you might be able to pretend or fake certain things. But if you spend a whole week together, you can’t hide much. Harry was going to see her raw, true self. He would see her waking up in the morning without makeup. He would see How she worked. How she cooked, cleaned. He would see most of her. Beth thought that it could be beneficial to have this experience early on in their relationship, so it would give them a glimpse into what their future might be like.

Eight days later, Harry’s flight arrived early in the morning. Beth insisted on picking him up, not wanting to miss a minute of being with him. She didn’t mind that is was such an early flight, because it’s not like she was going to sleep the night before anyway. She was way too excited to sleep.

Beth walked into JFK airport, arriving early because that’s just how she’s wired. She looked up at the board to see that Harry’s flight was scheduled to arrive in a half hour. Those felt like the longest 30 minutes of her life. Beth thought about carrying one of those cheesy signs that said his name, as if she was his chauffeur. But carrying a big sign that said “Harry Styles” would draw too much attention to him.

Although there was a crowd of people, Beth spotted Harry right away. He was wearing a fedora, sunglasses, and his signature Chelsea boots. Beth didn’t expect to feel so emotional seeing him, but she couldn’t help but run over to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, smelling the vanilla in his cologne. This was the man that she had spent all her nights talking to, and he was finally right here in front of her again. She was so excited to see him, she almost knocked him over.

“I missed you,” she told him.

“I missed you more, darling,” Harry said as he squeezed her tightly in his arms.

“Well, let’s get you home. You’re probably exhausted after such a long flight,” she said.

“Never too tired for you, love,” Harry said, giving her a wink.

They took the drive back to Beth’s apartment, eager to get some time alone together. Beth had some plans for the afternoon, but they had the whole morning to each other.

After spending a beautiful morning together, Beth wanted to take Harry on their first adventure.

“So, tell me. What are the plans for today? Other than copious amounts of sex,” Harry said.

“Is that all you think about?”

“Ok, ok. I’m sorry. Tell me about your plans.”

“I’m not going to tell you until we get there.”

“You want me to get into a car, but you’re not going to tell me where we’re going? That sounds like you’re about to have me murdered.”

“Why do you always think my surprises involve you being murdered? You’ll just have to trust me. It’s not like I’m putting a blindfold on you. At least not right now. But maybe when we get home, we can try that…”

“IS THAT ALL YOU THINK ABOUT?” he asked, mocking her a bit.

“You started it…”

They both got into a taxi, which Beth had called ahead of time to tell the driver the destination. Harry looked out the window almost the entire time, as he tried to guess where they would be going. The drive was a bit longer than Harry expected, since the cab took them out of Brooklyn, onto a highway, and into a different borough.

“We’re going to the Bronx?” he read off the signage. “What’s in the Bronx?” Harry questioned.

“Just wait and see.”

After a few more minutes, the cab pulled up to a colossal building, with an unmistakable bold sign that finally revealed where she had taken him.

“Yankee Stadium? We’re going to a Yankee game?” Harry said, with a huge smile on his face.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I didn’t think you would remember,”

“ME? NOT REMEMBER? That’s so unlike me,” she teased him.

On their second date, Harry mentioned that he was never in New York long enough to see a Yankee game. So, when Beth was able to get tickets last minute, she jumped at the opportunity.

“But don’t you think I’ll get recognized?” he worried.

“Don’t worry about that. I have that figured out,” she assured him.

“Of course, you do. You always have everything figured out.”

The taxi drove around the stadium, past the main entrance where all the fans were waiting in line. The taxi let them off near the back entrance, where a security guard was standing at the gate. Beth showed the guard her ID to let them in.

“Oh, yes, Ms. Russo. We have the room ready for you. Follow me,” the man said.

“You have a room at Yankee Stadium?” Harry questioned, which made Beth laugh.

“I don’t have a room. Columbia does. They take clients to games all the time, so I convinced Ron that I had to take our most important client to a game,” Beth explained.

“Columbia knows we’re here together? I thought we were keeping us a secret?” Harry questioned.

“Well, they already know that you’re taking some time off. If you’re going to be here a whole week, I can’t guarantee that we won’t be seen together. Just in case someone sees us, or takes a picture of us, we’re covered. I told Ron that you’re meeting with some friends in New York. If we’re seen together, we’re just getting together as friends. And while you’re here, I convinced him to let me have these tickets,” Beth explained.

“And he was okay with that?”

“He thinks I’m just here to impress you, keep the client happy, you know?”

“I’ll take it,” Harry accepted.

The security guard led them to a private viewing box, where they would be away from the rest of the baseball fans, so they could watch the game with some privacy.

“You’ll have security outside this room at all times to ensure that fans can’t get in. The only people that can get in are the waiters, who will bring you anything you’d like. The cameramen have also been instructed not to film this area, so you won’t be shown on the big screen, or on TV. Nobody will know that you’re here,” the security guard explained.

For Beth, it was important for her to make sure that Harry was safe. It was way more important than anyone finding out about the two of them hanging out together. In a crowded environment like this, it was important for his safety, and the safety of others, that he havs

proper security. They both thanked the security guard, who left them alone in the viewing box. They still had about a half-hour before the game was supposed to start.

“I don’t fully trust that we won’t be filmed here. So, I wouldn’t try any funny business, Styles,” she teased.

“That’s okay. I can keep my hands to myself. I’m not an animal. I can wait until we get back to your place,” he smirked.

The two sat and watched as the Yankees played the Oakland Athletics. They ate all the traditional ballpark food, stuffing their faces with hotdogs, popcorn, and cotton candy. The home team won the game, with a score of 8-2. Once the game was over, they waited for some of the fans to clear out, before the security guard escorted them to a taxi.

“That was fun. I’m glad I got to experience my first Yankee game with you,” Harry said.

“Well, I’m glad you liked it.”

“So, what do we do now? I’ve never been to the Bronx before. Can we walk around and explore?” he asked.

“Oh, you sweet innocent boy. No, we cannot just casually walk around the Bronx. It’s not exactly the best area. It’s not very safe around here. That’s why I made sure that you had security.”

“I appreciate that, by the way.”

After the game, Harry and Beth headed back to her apartment. She figured that Harry would be tired out after the game, along with the hours of traveling. They spend the rest of the night at her apartment, where they could spend time alone with each other. That’s all Harry wanted to do anyway. They ended up going to bed early, since Harry was so exhausted. Beth didn’t mind, as she fell asleep with Harry’s tight grasp around her. He was holding on to her tightly, like he never wanted to let her go. But she still felt comfortable. It felt like this was normal, like how things were supposed to be. Having him spend the entire week in her bed didn’t seem so bad.


	7. Chapter 7

When Beth woke up in the middle of the night, she expected to feel Harry’s strong grasp around her, because that’s how she fell asleep. She groggily flipped herself around to realize that Harry wasn’t sleeping next to her. Seeing her bed empty made her think back to the morning after they first slept together. Beth woke up in her bed alone, thinking that Harry had left her. Then she saw him in her kitchen making pancakes, feeling guilty that she ever suspected that he would leave. She learned her lesson and knew that he couldn’t have left her. He did come all the way to New York to spend the week with her. Through her blurred vision, she saw the bright light on her alarm clock, which read 3:45 AM.

In the corner of her room, Beth could see the reflection of the bathroom light. She assumed that he just woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. But she couldn’t fall back asleep right away. She was never a great sleeper anyway, since she was probably up all night worrying about something. After a few minutes went by, Harry still hadn’t come back from the bathroom. So, Beth threw on her robe, slid into her slippers, and went to go check on him.

“Harry… are you okay in there?” she called out, as she knocked on the door.

“I’m alright… Don’t worry about me. Go back to bed,” he said, through a groggy voice. But she didn’t believe him. She knew that something was wrong. He didn’t sound right.

“Can I come in, please?” she asked. The door wasn’t locked, or even completely closed. But she still asked for permission, wanting to respect his privacy.

“I don’t want you to see me like this,” he told her.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay. I don’t care how you look. I just want to know that you’re okay. Let me help you,” she pleaded.

“Fine, you can come in. But it’s not pretty,” he warned her.

She gently opened the door to find Harry on the cold tile floor, sitting right next to the toilet. He was sweating profusely. His face was whiter than a ghost and he looked like he hadn’t slept at all. For the past hour, he had been glued to that spot next to the toilet, as he was throwing up every few minutes.

“Oh, Harry, you poor thing,” Beth said, as she rushed to his side. She grabbed a washcloth out of her cabinet, ran some cold water over it, and gently placed the cloth over his forehead. He was burning up, and she hoped to cool him down a bit.

“Thank you. That helps,” he said.

“What happened?” she asked.

“I’m not sure. I went to bed not feeling great. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to worry. It was just a sore throat, so I thought it would pass, but now here I am,” Harry explained.

“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” she asked.

“Oh god no. I hate doctors. I think I just need to rest.” Harry told her.

“That’s fine. If you need to rest, then why don’t you come back to bed?”

“I don’t want to throw up in your bed and ruin the sheets…”

“Sweetie, don’t worry about that. I don’t care about sheets. They’re replaceable. I just want you to be comfortable,” she tried to reason with him. Anything had to be more comfortable than sitting on her bathroom floor.

“I didn’t want you to get sick from me either. Not sure if it’s contagious.”

“I was just lying next to you in bed. If I’m going to get sick, I would have it already. Just come back to bed, please? You’ll be more relaxed,” she insisted.

Harry gave in and tried to walk towards the bedroom. But when he attempted to stand up, his legs went weak. He almost fell over, but Beth was right there to catch him. Harry leaned on her as she helped him walk back to the bed. She helped lay him down, and placed the cold washcloth over his head, as he was still burning up.

“I’ll be right back. I have something else that might help you,” she told him.

She quickly returned with two pink pills that would help treat his nausea and a glass of cold water. She also brought him a trash can to place on his side of the bed, just in case he had to throw up again. She even put the air conditioner up to a colder temperature, hoping that it would help cool him down. Harry immediately downed the pills, without asking any questions. He trusted whatever Beth was giving him. Anything had to be better than how his stomach was feeling at that moment.

“Thank you,” he said, “I’m sorry but I think you’ll have to cancel whatever you have planned for tomorrow. I’m not sure that I’ll be up for it.”

“Oh, honey, that’s okay. Don’t worry about any of that. My only plan for tomorrow is to take care of you and make sure that you’re okay,” she promised him.

Harry feel asleep quickly since he was so exhausted. He felt slightly more comfortable, and not nearly as nauseous as he was an hour ago. Usually, Harry wrapped his arms around Beth, but this time they switched places. Harry became the little spoon, as Beth attempted to comfort him.

“How are you feeling?” she asked the next morning.

“Gross,” he responded, in a nasally, strained voice.

When Harry woke up, his nausea had mostly gone away, but he was still feeling ill. He was mostly just exhausted, and different parts of his body ached. All he wanted to do was lay down and rest. He also had a cough and a runny nose.

Beth didn’t know how much longer this would last, but she wanted to be prepared, just in case he was sick for a few more days. And if they would be staying in for a few days, she needed to pick up some groceries. She wanted to go out to buy a few things, just to make sure he was as comfortable as possible. Beth felt terrible for leaving him while he was sick, but he assured her that he would be okay.

“Are you sure that you don’t mind me leaving for a bit?” she worried.

“I’ll be fine,” he said through his coughing, “There’s not much else you can do to help me right now.”

“I promise, I won’t be gone long. Is there anything else you need?” she asked.

“Could you get me some fruit? Fruit always makes me feel better. When I was little, my mom always used to feed me fruit when I was sick.”

“Sure, I can get you some fruit,” she said. She couldn’t help but laugh at his simple request. If fruit was all it took to make him feel better, Beth would buy as much fruit as possible.

“Oh wait. Here. Take this,” he said. Harry reached over to the counter, taking his credit card out of his wallet, and tried to hand it to Beth.

“Harry, stop it. Put that away. I don’t need your money. I appreciate the offer, though.”

“Why don’t you take it? You shouldn’t have to be paying for things just for me.”

“Because you’re a guest in my home. So, I can take care of it. Let me take care of you,” she insisted.

Beth could tell that it was hard for Harry to accept that someone was taking care of him. He was so used to taking care of everyone else around him, especially financially. Harry knew that other people would’ve happily taken his credit card and ran with it. But she would never do that. She would never take advantage of him like that.

As promised, Beth wasn’t gone for very long. She returned home from the store, probably bringing back more than they would need. She got some more cold medicine, cough drops, boxes of tissues, and a thermometer, which she couldn’t find the night before. She also got some groceries to cook dinner for the week, along with plenty of fruit, at Harry’s request. Harry was in the exact same spot as if he barely moved the entire time Beth was out.

“You’re back,” he said, smiling.

“How are you feeling? I got some things that might help.”

“I’m still feeling a bit sore everywhere. I’m still hot and tired.”

“Here, let me take your temperature,” she said, pulling out the thermometer that she had just bought. “Stick your tongue out, please,” she instructed.

“Yes, mam,” he said, as he did what he was told. She held the thermometer underneath his tongue as they waited for the verdict.

“101.5 degrees Fahrenheit,” she read.

“Is that bad? I have no idea. Why don’t Americans use the metric system like the rest of the world?” Harry wondered. She didn’t have an answer for that.

“Average is about 98.6. So, your temperature is higher than normal. But it’s not bad enough that I have to take you to a hospital yet,” she explained.

“Maybe I deserve this,” Harry muttered.

“Deserve what? What are you talking about?” Beth questioned.

“Maybe getting sick is my punishment for what I did to you. I should’ve never slept with that girl. I still feel guilty about it,” he admitted.

“Harry, we’ve been through this. I thought we got over that. I’m not angry about it, I promise you. Please, don’t worry about it. Just focus on feeling better, please,” she begged.

Beth hated seeing Harry sick like this. He didn’t need the added pressure of feeling guilty for a past mistake. She just wanted to help him get better. She wished that he wasn’t so opposed to going to a doctor. But she was trying to respect his wishes. Instead of taking him to a doctor, she did everything in her power to make him more comfortable. She spent the next few days taking care of him. Sometimes that just included sitting by his side as he laid on the couch, feeling “achy and gross,” as he described it. At times she even laid on the couch cuddled with him, which she hoped would ease the chilled feeling in his body. Harry was amazed that she didn’t mind being that close to him. Beth wasn’t afraid of getting sick. All she wanted to do was comfort him. But she still felt a bit helpless, like there wasn’t much she could do to help him feel better. But her mind usually went to food.

“What can I make you to eat?” she asked him.

“I’m not that hungry,” he shrugged.

Other than snacking on some fruit, Harry didn’t eat very much for the first few days. She knew that he had to eat something, to keep up some level of strength. She also tried to make sure that he was drinking plenty of water and didn’t get too dehydrated. Beth made herself some lunch, hoping that if there was food in front of him, he might develop some kind of appetite. Harry looked over at her in the kitchen, clearly intrigued by whatever she was making. After she was done, she brought over two bowls.

“What is this?” he questioned.

“It’s called Pastina. My grandmother used to make it for me all the time when I was sick. It’s basically tiny pasta, a little bit of broth, and some butter. This always made me feel better when I was a kid, so I was hoping that it would work for you,” Beth explained.

“It looks delicious. I really appreciate you making this for me. Actually, I appreciate all that you’ve done for me. I don’t know if I’ve said thank you enough,” Harry said.

“You don’t have to thank me, I really don’t mind taking care of you,” she promised him.

The two slowly began to eat their food, with Harry cleaning the bowl. He was excited to have a new meal, and he clearly enjoyed it. She was happy to see that he was eating something more substantial, which was a bit of an improvement.

“Are you feeling any better?” she asked, hoping that the food would help his stomach.

“A little. I still feel kind of gross though,” Harry told her.

“Do you want to take a shower? I can help you,” she offered, considering that Harry was still feeling weak and exhausted.

“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I pictured being in the shower with you,” Harry joked. Beth laughed, as she was happy to see that Harry was making jokes, even if he was still in a bit of pain.

“If it will help you feel better, I’ll do anything,” she told him.

Harry agreed. He did need a shower since it had been a few days. He was feeling hot and sweaty again, as his temperature had gone from cold to hot very quickly. When he first tried to get up, he stumbled a bit, but she was right there to help him. Again. They took the short walk to Beth’s bathroom. Harry stood there, just staring at Beth.

“Do you want me to help you get undressed?” She asked.

“No… I can do that…” Harry said, staring at her awkwardly.

“Then what’s the matter? I’ve seen you naked before…”

“That’s different. This feels so… demeaning,” he explained.

Since she’s known Harry, he’s always been extremely confident. She had never seen Harry act that shy before. But this was different than just seeing him naked. Having someone help you shower feels extremely vulnerable. In a way, it’s almost more intimate than sex, because everything is out there.

Although he needed some convincing, Harry allowed Beth to help him shower. She used her own shampoo and conditioner, running her fingers through his curly locks. Then she quickly washed his body using cold water, hoping that it would help his body cool down. When she was done, she gave him a fresh towel and dried him off.

“Did that make you feel any better?” she asked.

“A little,” he said.

“Are you sure that you don’t want me to take you to a doctor? Or to the hospital?” she asked, as she was growing increasingly concerned about his health.

“Nope. No hospital. I hate hospitals. Hospitals are where people go to die,” he insisted.

“Okay, fine. I won’t take you to a doctor, I promise.”

After his shower, Beth helped Harry back to her couch, where he gladly plopped himself down. Unfortunately, Harry still had a bit of a fever, and he still had other aches and pains, including a sore throat and runny nose. Beth gave him some cold medicine, which helped a bit, but made him very sleepy. Even though he was sleeping a lot, he still looked exhausted. Once Harry laid on the couch, he began to fall asleep. Beth took this as the perfect opportunity to get up and make a little phone call, hoping that Harry wouldn’t hear her. About a half-hour later, there was a guest outside of Beth’s apartment. She quietly went to open the door, not wanting to wake Harry up just yet.

“This is the guy you’re seeing?” Why didn’t you tell me it was someone famous?” Andrew questioned, as he saw Harry lying on the couch. Even though Harry wasn’t looking his best, Andrew still recognized him.

Beth didn’t tell her brother much. He didn’t even know that she involved with a guy until a half-hour ago. All she told her brother was that she had a male friend staying with her, and that he had been sick for the past few days. Since Harry refused to go to a hospital, she begged her brother to come to check Harry out.

“Does it really matter who he is or if he’s famous? It’s a long story and I don’t really feel like getting into it right now. But can you please turn off being my big brother for a few minutes, and just be a doctor? Can you just see if there’s anything you can do to help him, please?” she begged.

“He’s sick, so I’ll help him. But you and I are still going to talk about this later,” her brother insisted.

As they began to argue, Harry was starting to wake up. When he opened his eyes, he saw Beth and Andrew in front of him. He was clearly alarmed but this strange man standing before him.

“Who is this?” Harry asked Beth, as he was quite confused.

“Harry, this is my brother, Andrew. He’s a doctor, remember?” she told Harry.

Beth had told Harry about her family before. But she wasn’t sure if he would remember that her brother is a doctor. Especially since he might still be a bit woozy from all the cold medicine he was taking.

“I thought you said no doctors. You promised,” Harry said, with a pouty face.

“That is not true. I said that I wouldn’t take you to a doctor. You never said that a doctor couldn’t come to you,” she said.

Beth knew that she was being a bit mischievous. She knew that Harry wouldn’t love the idea. If she would’ve asked beforehand, he most likely would’ve said no. But in this case, she figured that it was better to ask for forgiveness instead of asking for permission. Beth didn’t exactly love this idea either. This wasn’t what she envisioned when she thought of Harry meeting a member of her family for the first time. But it had been three days, and Harry wasn’t getting much better. Beth hated seeing him sick like this, and this was the only thing she could think of that might help him feel better.

“Harry, I’m just going to do a little exam, okay? My sister tells me that you’ve been sick for the past few days and haven’t gotten better,” Andrew said.

As Harry began explaining some of his symptoms, Andrew began doing a basic checkup. He took Harry’s temperature, checking his breathing, and looked down his throat. Once he saw a sick patient in front of him, Andrew was able to be a professional, instead of making judgments about who his sister was dating. It only took a few minutes before Andrew was done with the exam.

“So, what is it? What can we do?” Beth asked.

“I believe that he’s just got a bad case of the flu. I can prescribe him some medicine. Other than that, there’s not much else you can do but wait it out. Just make sure he drinks a lot of liquids and gets a lot of rest,” Andrew instructed.

“Don’t worry. She’s been taking great care of me. Your sister is a saint,” Harry said.

“You must not know her well enough, buddy,” Andrew joked, which made Beth roll her eyes.

“You’re right. I’m still getting to know her. I would’ve liked to meet you and the rest of the family in better circumstances,” Harry said.

“Well, hopefully, we’ll be able to meet again, when you’re not sick. I do hope you feel better. I should be going, though. I’ll let you get some rest,” Andrew said.

“Thank you for coming, I really appreciate it. I owe you one,” Beth said.

After saying their goodbyes, Beth walked her brother to the door. Once Harry started taking the medicine Andrew prescribed, he started to feel a lot better. But just as he was feeling better, it was time for him to go home. When Harry was planning to stay with Beth, he said that he wanted to be in her bed for most of the week. It turned out that Harry got his wish, just not in the way that he expected. But if there was any silver lining to Harry being sick for most of the week, they were able to spend a lot of time together. It was just the two of them, without any distractions. They spent the week watching movies, with her finally caving and watching _The Notebook._ While this wasn’t the week either of them had envisioned, Beth still felt lucky to be spending any amount of time with Harry. He felt like he got to see how caring Beth can be. Harry thought that she had seen the worst of him, and she still stuck around.


	8. Chapter 8

Just as Harry got over being ill, it was time for him to go back home to London. Beth was disappointed seeing him leave. She still enjoyed their time together, even if he was sick for most of it. But mostly she felt sorry for Harry that he wasn’t feeling well the whole week. She wondered if Harry felt like he wasted his time off since he spent most of the time on her couch. But Harry didn’t see this time as a waste because he got the opportunity to see who Beth really is. Harry saw that Beth was a compassionate person who was willing to do anything for someone that she cares about.

By calling her brother to help Harry, Beth had put herself in an uncomfortable situation. Instead of keeping things a secret, she had to try to explain to her brother what was going on with Harry. Andrew was asking about the nature of their relationship, but Beth didn’t have the answer to some of his questions. Although she would be having some uncomfortable conversations with her brother, Beth was willing to do anything to help Harry.

Beth was avoiding the inevitable uncomfortable conversation with her brother. They weren’t able to talk much since he came to visit. Every time Andrew wanted to talk, Beth tried to use the excuse that she was busy with work. But she couldn’t put off the conversation ant longer. Finally, one Sunday afternoon, she called her brother when they were both free to talk.

“First off, how is he feeling? Did the medicine work?” Andrew asked.

“Yes, the medicine you prescribed helped him a lot. He’s back to normal now. I really appreciate you coming to help him,” Beth said.

“Is he still there?” Andrew asked.

“No, he went back home to London.”

“Good. So now you and I could talk. Tell me everything about him. How did you meet this guy?” her brother asked.

“Harry is signed with Columbia, and I’m in charge of working on his campaign. It’s a huge deal for them to trust me with an artist like him, and I’ve never worked with anyone like him before. He first came to the offices in New York a few months ago, and we’ve been close ever since,” Beth explained.

“Close? What does that mean? Is he your boyfriend?” Andrew questioned.

This was the part that Beth wished she didn’t have to explain to her brother. Before she could even explain herself, she felt her brother’s judgmental attitude.

“Well… no, not exactly,” Beth started to say.

“No? What do you mean no? This man was staying in your home for a week but he’s not your boyfriend? What kind of relationship is this?”

“Well, we don’t have a title.”

Beth didn’t want to immediately get so defensive with her brother. She was grateful that he took time out of his busy schedule to come to visit Harry. It was his day off, but he still made himself available, because he loved his sister. And Beth loved her brother too. But there were times when he could be a bit condescending. Andrew was a protective older brother because he always wanted the best for Beth. He almost took on the role of her father, since they didn’t grow up with one.

“So, he just comes into town whenever he feels like it. You’re his booty call. Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s not fair. Just because he doesn’t call me his girlfriend doesn’t mean that we don’t have a relationship. It’s not just about sex. We talk to each other every day. Harry and I have a mutual agreement that we’re both happy with,” Beth defended.

“Don’t you think that he has other girls on the side? How do you know that you’re the only one?” Andrew questioned.

“Harry is honest. He’s told me if he slept with another girl,” Beth said, thinking that it would make Harry look better. But unfortunately, it did not help.

“He TELLS you when he cheats on you? And you think that makes it better?”

“It’s not cheating if we’re not together. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s free to do whatever he wants. And I would be free to sleep with someone else,” Beth tried to explain.

“Who else knows about this?” Andrew questioned.

“Nobody, except for you. We have to keep our relationship a secret.”

“He’s hiding you too? That’s ridiculous. You don’t deserve that. You deserve someone that feels proud to be with you,” Andrew stated firmly.

“It’s not ridiculous. Like I said, we have a mutual agreement. I’m supposed to be working for him. I could get fired if my boss finds out,” Beth explained.

“If that’s the case, why are you seeing him at all? Is he worth it? Don’t you think that you’re being unreasonable?” Andrew questioned.

Beth was starting to get irritated about the way her brother was speaking about Harry. Beth knew Harry, and she believed that he was a good guy. Andrew was acting like he knew Harry when they only met for a few minutes. But somehow, Andrew had a twisted view of the relationship.

“Andrew, you know I love you. But you’re my brother, not my father. I’m a big girl and I can make my own decisions. You need to back off,” Beth demanded.

“Back off? You’re the one who brought me into this.”

“I needed you as a doctor, to help a person that was sick. And I appreciate you coming to help Harry. But I don’t need you judging me and my decisions. I asked you to help him get better. I didn’t ask for your opinion on our relationship.”

“Do you expect me to just sit back and watch another guy take advantage of my sister? I can’t do that again,” Andrew said.

“Another guy? Do you really want to dig into my past relationship right now? Harry is nothing like Mike. Let’s get that straight.”

Her brother knew a little about the history of how Beth’s ex-boyfriend Mike treated her. Andrew always felt guilty about not stepping in sooner, despite his instincts telling him that Mike was bad for his sister. But that still didn’t give Andrew the right to group Mike and Harry together.

“FINE. It’s clear that I’m not getting through to you. Maybe I should just go.”

“Goodbye Andrew,” Beth said, quickly hanging up the phone.

Beth needed this conversation to end because she felt like she was being scolded by her brother. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She didn’t need someone judging her.

But less than a half-hour after she got off the phone with her brother, she received a FaceTime call from her moms, Angela and Jessica. Beth distinguished them by calling Angela, “Mommy” and calling Jessica “Momma.”

Although she used to talk to her moms fairly regularly, Beth didn’t think it was a coincidence that they were calling right after she got off the phone with Andrew. Beth took a deep breath before she accepted the call, assuming that she was about to get judged, and possibly ridiculed, for her decisions.

“Hi sweetie, how are you doing?” Jessica asked.

“I’m doing okay, Momma. But you don’t have to pretend. I know that Andrew just called you and probably complained about my life choices,” Beth said. After the conversation that she had just had with her brother, Beth just wanted to get this conversation over with.

“Can you tell us about this boy? Andrew said he was in a boyband. Which one was it? NSYNC?” Angela questioned. Beth couldn’t help but laugh. Neither of her parents kept up to date with pop culture.

“His name is Harry, and he was in One Direction. But you were so close,” Beth told them.

“Oh, right. One Direction. Is he the blonde one?” Jessica questioned. “I always thought the blonde one was cute.”

“No, that was Niall. Harry is the one with the curly hair.”

“Ok hold on, I’m Googling him… Oh, he’s cute, look, Jess,” Angela said, as she showed Jessica the pictures on her phone.

“He is cute, good for you Bethany,” Jessica said.

“You’re not going to yell at me for being with him?” Beth asked. She was surprised that they weren’t having the same reaction as Andrew.

“Honey, we know that your brother can be overwhelming at times. He’s not afraid to share his opinion. But the only reason that he’s so protective is that he cares about you,” Jessica said.

“And we love and care about you too. We’re just a bit disappointed that we didn’t hear about this from you,” Angela said, which made Beth feel a bit guilty.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you guys. But it’s not personal. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just… Harry and I have to be careful about this. He doesn’t like the public intruding on his business. And I don’t want my bosses to find out. So, we’ve just been keeping this between us,” Beth explained.

“But Andrew tells us that Harry isn’t even your boyfriend?” Jessica questioned.

“No, Harry isn’t my boyfriend. We don’t have a label right now. But that’s okay. I’m not sure that I’m ready for that kind of commitment,” she told them.

“Is he nice to you?” Angela asked. Now they were getting to the important questions.

“Harry is the nicest man I’ve ever met,” Beth said, smiling as she thought about him.

“Well, as long as you’re happy, we’re happy for you. We know what it’s like for people to judge your relationship, and we would never want that for you,” Jessica said.

Although their situations were different, her moms could relate to the idea of thinking that the whole world is against your relationship. Being a lesbian couple, her parents were constantly judged, especially once they adopted children. But because their love was so strong, they were able to withstand anything. Beth only dreamed of having a love like that one day.

“We support you. But we would love for you to talk more. We feel like we haven’t heard from you in a while, and now we know why. We wish that you would talk to us about these kinds of things,” Angela said.

Beth was feeling guilty like she had been ignoring her parents. She was beginning to realize that she had become completely focused on Harry, in all aspects of her life. Beth was so focused that she was neglecting the relationships with other people in her life. Her parents didn’t deserve that. They had always been supportive of Beth and her decisions.

Even though Beth wanted her relationship with Harry to remain a secret for as long as possible, she felt a bit of relief that her family knew. Now Beth felt like she had people she could talk to about him. She had people to go to for advice. Beth spent some more time on the phone with her parents, catching up on what Beth had missed. Her moms told her all the latest family gossip, including stories about her brother and his girlfriend.

“Melanie has been hinting that she wants your brother to propose,” Jessica told Beth.

“But Andrew doesn’t think they’re ready for that,” Angela said.

“It seems like he’s afraid of commitment. Maybe he’s not the best person to be giving me relationship advice,” Beth joked.

Although Beth was feeling a bit disappointed by her brother’s reaction, it felt good to know that her parents supported her. Despite the disappointing conversation that she had with her brother, Beth was still looking forward to her nightly call with Harry. Even if she had the worst day, Beth knew that Harry could always cheer her up. Although she didn’t want to hurt Harry’s feelings, she felt like she had to tell him about the conversations she had with her family. They had both agreed to be completely honest with each other.

“How was your day today, love?” he asked.

“It was…. okay, I guess.”

“Tell me what happened,” he said, immediately knowing that something was wrong.

“I talked to my brother today,” she admitted.

“He hates me, doesn’t he?” Harry questioned.

“He doesn’t hate you. He’s just very protective over me. He just doesn’t understand our relationship,” Beth tried to explain.

“Well, hopefully, I can meet him again and make a better impression.”

“I also have to tell you… He told my parents. They were much more supportive. But I know we were supposed to keep this a secret…” Beth admitted. She felt guilty that she was responsible for more people being aware of their relationship when they had both promised to keep this relationship a secret.

“I’ve told my mom about you,” Harry admitted.

“You have?” Beth asked. Her face lit up, as Harry seemed filled with pride when talking about Beth. He was proud to tell his mom about her.

“She wants to meet you whenever you come to London,” Harry told her.

“I would love to meet your mom,” Beth told Harry.

Knowing that Harry is one of the kindest, most considerate people that Beth has ever met, she would love to meet his mother. The fact that Harry was so excited about Beth meeting his family meant so much to her. It only proved her brother wrong, that Beth wasn’t just some booty call.

“What did your moms say about me?” Harry wondered. He was better off not knowing all the details of what her brother said. That would only upset Harry, and he didn’t need any more pressure in his life right now.

“One of my moms thought you were in NSYNC and my other mom thought Niall was cute,” Beth told Harry, which made him laugh.

“So, you both have the same taste,” Harry joked, teasing Beth about her “crush” on Niall.

“If it makes you feel any better, once they found your picture, they thought you were cute.”

“And did you agree with them?”

“That Niall is cute? Of course,” Beth teased.

“Maybe I should just give you his number and you could talk to him instead,” Harry said, pretending to be offended.

“Harry, you know I’m kidding. You’re the only person that I’m attracted to. But it doesn’t matter what my parents or anyone else think.”

“Are you sure? Niall has been looking good. Have you seen him lately?”

“Sorry, he’s not my type…”

“Oh! I have to tell you about something,” Harry mentioned, completely changing the subject.

“What is it?” Beth asked, her mind instantly racing thinking of all the possibilities.

“You’ll be receiving two packages tomorrow. But you cannot open them until we FaceTime. I want to see your face when you open it,” Harry instructed.

“Can I have a hint of what this will be?” Beth asked.

“Nope. It’s a surprise,” Harry said.

“Is it you? You didn’t get enough of me and you had to come back to New York?” Beth joked.

“Unfortunately, no. As much as I would love to spend more time with you, I have to stay in London for a little while. But that’s the only clue I’m giving. No more hints. I want you to be surprised,” Harry insisted.

Throughout their time together, Beth had become accustomed to Harry sending her packages. But usually, he doesn’t warn her when something is coming. It just arrives at her doorstep. It started with the flowers Harry sent after their first week together. Since then, he’s sent her random things here and there. A few weeks ago, he sent her a pack of notebooks and journals, knowing how much she loves to make lists. But based on the fact that Harry couldn’t stop smiling, Beth suspected that this package would be more special than all the other ones. 


	9. Chapter 9

Beth was looking forward to her nightly chat with Harry. The entire day at work, he’s all that she thought about. Every time she had a long or stressful day at work, Harry would always make her feel better. The night before, Harry seemed very excited about the package he was sending her. He insisted that she wait until they were able to FaceTime, so he could see her reaction when she opened it. He seemed more excited about this package than anything he’s ever sent her.

Beth arrived home from work to find two packages waiting on her doorstep. The one that immediately grabbed her attention was a very large box. She went to lift it and found that the package was heavy too. She guessed that it probably weighed around 30 pounds, which was a bit difficult for Beth to carry, due to her small frame. Although Beth was used to Harry sending her packages, this one seemed massive compared to the others. In addition to the large box, there was a thin box, which was lightweight. She still had no idea what Harry could’ve sent her, and these boxes didn’t give her any clues. If possible, they confused her even more. But considering how excited Harry seemed, Beth couldn’t wait to open the packages. As soon as she got in the door, Beth immediately FaceTimed with Harry.

“Hi handsome, how are you doing?” she asked Harry.

“Better now that I’m talking to you. Did you get my deliveries today?” he asked.

“Yes, I did! I got two packages,” she said, showing him the two boxes.

“Good. This was just my little thank you for taking care of me all week when I was in New York,” he told her.

“Harry… you don’t have to keep thanking me. I didn’t mind taking care of you. I was happy to do it,” she said.

“Well, I still wanted to give you something special, something I’ve been wanting you to have for a while. But you have to promise me that once you open it, you can’t tell anyone about it. You can’t share it with anyone, especially the people at the label. Promise me?” Harry asked.

“Okay, got it. Keeping us a secret is kind of our thing. I can handle that. I promise I can keep this to myself. Can I open it now?” Beth asked.

She was eagerly waiting, standing by with her boxcutter to open the package. It was a tool Beth had used more frequently since harry sent her gifts so often. She was so excited and could barely wait any longer.

“What’s the rush? Let’s sit and talk for a few minutes. How was your day? Tell me about the weather in New York,” Harry teased, knowing how excited Beth was to open the package.

“Harry! The suspense is killing me. I’ve been thinking about this all day. Can I open it, please?” she begged.

“Ok fine. You can open them. But you have to start with the bigger box first,” he instructed.

Beth eagerly took her box cutter to begin opening the larger box, carefully cutting the tape. She pulled open the front of the box and removed all the filler.

“Oh my god, it’s beautiful,” was Beth’s first reaction.

Beth opened the box to see a stunning mahogany brown vintage-looking Victrola record player. It was something she and Harry talked about on their second date because he was surprised that she never owned one. Beth was so excited about this gift that she almost couldn’t wait to set it up.

“Well, I thought you deserved to have your own record player, considering the type of job that you have,” Harry told her.

“Harry, this is too much. You didn’t have to do this,” she told him. Sometimes Beth felt overwhelmed by the number of gifts Harry sent her. She felt like she didn’t deserve it.

“It’s not too much, after everything you’ve done for me. But you haven’t even opened the second box yet. I think you’ll appreciate that one even more,” Harry told her.

Now that Beth saw what was in the first box, she guessed what would be in the other package. She assumed that it would be the start of her record collection. It only seemed logical. Beth thought about some of the records Harry spoke about on their second date, when they visited the vintage record shop. He spoke about some of his artists like Fleetwood Mac, Prince, and David Bowie. Beth guessed that Harry could’ve sent her a record from one of those artists.

Beth opened the second package, with the contents wrapped in lots of bubble wrap. She unraveled it to find a record, with a plain, blank cover on. The cover didn’t have a label, which left Beth feeling confused.

“Why is it missing a label? I don’t understand. What record is this?” Beth questioned. She thought maybe it was an older record and original cover had been lost or destroyed. But the record was not the one she expected.

“That, my dear, is my new album. Outside of the people who wrote and produced it with me, you will be one of the first people to listen to it, if you’re interested. Since it’s not out yet, I had it made just for you,” Harry told her.

When Beth was told that it was Harry’s album, she was overcome with emotion. She couldn’t help but let a few tears fall from her eyes. From her late-night talks with Harry, she knew how hard he was working on this album. He put so much time and effort into it, and Beth felt honored that she would be one of the first people to listen to it. Beth knew that Harry was a perfectionist, so she thought that it would be a few weeks, or even months, before she heard his album. So, this gift was completely unexpected.

“I hope you enjoy it, but I know that you’ll be honest with me,” Harry said.

“Harry, this is really special to me. I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate this. I’m not sure how I can ever repay you,” Beth said, as she wiped away a tear.

“Well, you can repay me by listening to it and telling me how you feel,” he told her.

“Absolutely. I can’t wait to listen to it,” Beth told him, as she was beaming with pride.

“I plan on sending you a few more records to add to your collection. But I thought that this would be a good start,” he said.

“I feel honored that your album is my first vinyl record. I wouldn’t have wanted it to be anyone else,” she told him. At this point she was holding the record close to her chest, not wanting to let it go.

“Well I’m happy that you’ll finally be able to listen to it,” Harry said.

“So, tell me. Does this mean that your album is finished?” she asked.

Since Beth met Harry, she was begging him to hear some of his new music. She was so curious to hear what his music would sound like. But Harry never showed her anything. He never even gave her any hints as to what genre he was going for. But Harry was a perfectionist. He told Beth that he didn’t want anyone to listen to the music until it was done.

“I might want to tweak a few things, but I think that it’s basically finished. I think you’ll be the main judge of that. I’m really curious to hear your opinion,” Harry told her.

“Well, I’m flattered that you wanted me to be the first person to hear it. Do you trust me?” she questioned.

“100%,” he responded.

Harry knew that Beth was the perfect person to listen to his album for the first time. It wasn’t just because she worked for his record label. The fact that she had experience in music was just an added bonus. Harry wanted Beth to hear the album because he knew that she would be honest with him. He trusted her opinion and he knew that she wouldn’t just sugarcoat everything. She would share her honest feedback and tell him if there were parts that he needed to work on. She wasn’t the type of person to lie, just to make Harry feel good. Harry felt like if he was going to take any sort of criticism, he would rather hear it from her first.

“Are you relieved that your album is basically finished?” she asked. After all the time and effort that Harry has put into his music, Beth assumed that it would be a huge relief to feel so close to finishing it.

“I’m terrified,” Harry admitted.

“You’re terrified? Why? Are you not happy with how it turned out?” she questioned.

“No. I love it. I’m really proud of it. In a weird way, it’s my favorite thing to listen to,” he told her.

“Then what are you worried about? Do you not trust your judgment?” she wondered. She had a sense of why he might be nervous, but she wanted to let him get his feelings out.

“Every time I listen to it, I overthink it and wanting to change little things. I go back and forth trying to decide if it’s good enough, or if there’s something I can do to make it better. When it’s still in progress, I know that I can still make changes. But once it’s out, that’s it. It’s final and I can’t fix it anymore. And this time around, if it doesn’t go well, I have no one else to blame. It’s my album, with my name on it,” Harry explained.

“Or, when everyone loves your album, you’re the one that will get all the praise,” she said, trying to cheer him up a bit.

Beth couldn’t even imagine the type of pressure that Harry was under. He had everyone trying to guess what type of music he would put out. Inevitably, anything he does would be compared to One Direction. Sometimes Harry thought that it would be impossible to ever top that level of success. But he didn’t want to be compared to his past. He wanted to carve his own path and be successful in his own right.

Over the next few days, Harry’s album was the only thing that Beth listened to. She carefully listened to each song, taking in every word and every note. She intended on making notes, so she would have something to tell Harry. But Beth could barely think straight because she felt an overwhelming sense of pride when she listened to the album. With each unique song, it reminded Beth of how talented Harry is. Beth believed that this album showed his strengths as a songwriter, but also showed how much he has improved as a vocalist.

Harry gave Beth some time to listen to the album on her own. He figured it might be a bit awkward to watch her listen to the whole thing. But he was anxious to hear her thoughts.

“Give it to me. Honest thoughts only, please,” Harry requested.

“Every time I listen to “Sign of the Times” I start crying. Then I get to “Sweet Creature” and I cry all over again. So, with songs like that, I thought you were going for a soft folksy, type of sound. Then I got to “Kiwi” …” she started to tell him.

“You didn’t like that one? Was it too much? Should I stick to one genre?” Harry worried.

“Oh, no. I don’t think so. Honestly, I’m beginning to think that you can pull off any genre. Why are you so good at everything? It’s infuriating,” she joked.

“Sorry I’ll try to make a crappy song next time,” he laughed.

After Harry gifted Beth his album, she couldn’t stop listening to it. She felt so excited to help share his album with the world. Listening to the album lit a fire under Beth, and she felt even more motivated to promote it to the best of her ability. She wanted to help Harry become as successful as possible.

Beth’s boss, Ron, and some other people at Columbia were getting increasingly anxious because they hadn’t heard any of Harry’s music yet. It was getting closer to the time that Harry was supposed to pick his first single, but nobody else heard any music yet, except for Beth of course.

“Aren’t you a bit worried that you’re planning the promotion for something that you haven’t heard yet? We still have no idea what this album will sound like,” Ron told Beth, just a few days after she heard the album for the first time.

“I’m not worried. I believe in him. I think that whatever genre he decides to go for, he’ll do a great job. I don’t think he’ll disappoint,” Beth assured Ron, as if she didn’t have any inside knowledge.

Working for Harry, it was starting to become difficult to hide her relationship with him. She was starting to feel guilty that she was being dishonest to her boss and coworkers. Beth also had to be careful not to reveal things that Harry said to her in a personal conversation. In this case, she had to pretend like she didn’t know what his music would sound like. In reality, Harry’s album was the only thing that Beth listened to for the past few days.

“Why don’t we call him and get an update?” Ron suggested.

Ron encouraged Beth to push Harry further since he was so anxious to hear what Harry had been working on. Beth didn’t want to be pushy, but she also didn’t want to upset her boss. She went into Ron’s office, so he could call Harry. Ron put the phone on speaker so they could both talk to Harry.

“Harry, it’s Ron from Columbia. You’re on speaker. I’m sitting here with Bethany. How are you doing?”

“Hi, Ron. I’m doing well, thanks for asking. And hello Bethany, it’s nice to speak with you again,’ Harry said, as if he hadn’t spoken to Beth just a few hours earlier.

“So, Harry, we’re calling because we’re so excited to hear your new music. We don’t want to rush you. But we were just hoping to get a sample of what you’ve been working on?” Ron asked.

“Would you and Bethany like to hear the song I’ve chosen as my first single?” Harry asked. Ron’s eyes lit up, as he was thrilled to finally get the opportunity to hear some of Harry’s music.

“Sure, I would love to hear your single for the time,” Beth lied. While at work, she had to constantly act like Harry wasn’t revealing information to her.

“I’m on my way to the studio, but can I email it over. You can get back to me and let me know what you think,” Harry suggested.

“That would be great, Harry. I really appreciate it. And I can imagine that Bethany is excited too,” Ron said.

“Ok great. I’ll send it over now. I’ll speak to you both soon,” Harry said, right before hanging up the phone. Beth tried to hide her smile, knowing that she would be speaking to Harry again that night.

Within a few minutes, Harry sent an email including an audio attachment of his first single. Ron was excited to hear Harry’s new music for the first time, and Beth had to pretend like this was the first time she was hearing it. As the notes for “Sign of the Times” began playing, Beth couldn’t help but smile. She had already listened to this song many times, and she knew how powerful the song was. Beth tried to maintain her composure, and not let Ron see her emotions. Every time Beth listened to that song, she started to cry. But now she had to pull herself together so that she wouldn’t cry in front of her boss.

Ron listened to the single and had a similar reaction to Beth, minus the crying. Ron was pleasantly surprised by the song and he was impressed at Harry’s vocal ability. Based on this song, Ron felt confident that Harry was going to produce a hit album, something Beth was eager to help accomplish. 


End file.
